supine &c. (inactive) 683; inattentive &c. 458; insouciant &c. (indifferent) 823; imprudent, reckless &c. 863; slovenly &c. (disorderly) 59, (dirty) 653; inexact &c. (erroneous) 495; improvident &c. 674.

neglected &c. v.; unheeded, uncared-for, unperceived, unseen, unobserved, unnoticed, unnoted^†, unmarked, unattended to, unthought of, unregarded^†, unremarked, unmissed^†; shunted, shelved.

unexamined, unstudied, unsearched^†, unscanned^†, unweighed^†, unsifted, unexplored.

abandoned; buried in a napkin, hid under a bushel.

Adv. negligently &c. adj.; hand over head, anyhow; in an unguarded moment &c. (unexpectedly) 508; per incuriam[Lat].

Int. never mind, no matter, let it pass.

Phr. out of sight, out of mind.

461. Inquiry edit

N. inquiry; request &c. 765; search, research, quest, pursuit &c. 622.

examination, review, scrutiny, investigation, indagation|; perquisition^†, perscrutation^†, pervestigation|; inquest, inquisition; exploration; exploitation, ventilation.

sifting; calculation, analysis, dissection, resolution, induction; Baconian method^†.

strict inquiry, close inquiry, searching inquiry, exhaustive inquiry; narrow search, strict search; study &c. (consideration) 451.

scire facias[Lat], ad referendum; trial.

questioning &c. v.; interrogation, interrogatory; interpellation; challenge, examination, cross-examination, catechism; feeler, Socratic method, zetetic philosophy^†; leading question; discussion &c. (reasoning) 476.

reconnoitering, reconnaissance; prying &c. v.; espionage, espionnage[Fr]; domiciliary visit, peep behind the curtain; lantern of Diogenes.

question, query, problem, desideratum, point to be solved, porism^†; subject of inquiry, field of inquiry, subject of controversy; point in dispute, matter in dispute; moot point; issue, question at issue; bone of contention &c. (discord) 713; plain question, fair question, open question; enigma &c. (secret) 533; knotty point &c. (difficulty) 704; quodlibet; threshold of an inquiry.

[person who questions] inquirer, investigator, inquisitor, inspector, querist^†, examiner, catechist; scrutator scrutineer scrutinizer^†; analyst; quidnunc &c. (curiosity) 455[Lat].

V. make inquiry &c. n.; inquire, ask, seek, search.

look for, look about for, look out for; scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round; look over, go over, look through, go through; spy, overhaul.

[transitive: object is a topic] ask about, inquire about.

scratch the head, slap the forehead.

look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner; nose; trace up; search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out; unearth; leave no stone unturned.

seek a clue, seek a clew; hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace; follow the trail, follow the scent; pursue &c. 662; beat up one's quarters; fish for; feel for &c. (experiment) 463.

investigate; take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry &c. n.; look at, look into; preexamine; discuss, canvass, agitate.

[inquire into a topic] examine, study, consider, calculate; dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into; make sure of, probe, sound, fathom; probe to the bottom, probe to the quick; scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow; view in all its phases, try in all its phases; thresh out.

bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination; put to the proof &c. (experiment) 463; audit, tax, pass in review; take into consideration &c. (think over) 451; take counsel &c. 695.

[intransitive] question, demand; put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question.

question[transitive: human object], put to the question, interrogate, pump; subject to interrogation, subject to examination; cross-question, cross-examine; press for an answer; give the third degree; put to the inquisition; dodge|!.

catechize.

require an answer; pick the brains of, suck the brains of; feel the pulse.

get the lay of the land; see how the wind is blowing; put one's ear to the ground.

[intransitive] be in question &c. adj.; undergo examination.

Adj. inquiry &c. v.; inquisitive &c. (curious) 455; requisitive|, requisitory^†; catechetical^†, inquisitorial, analytic; in search of, in quest of; on the lookout for, interrogative, zetetic^†; all searching.

undetermined, untried, undecided; in question, in dispute, in issue, in course of inquiry; under discussion, under consideration, under investigation &c. n.; sub judice[Lat], moot, proposed; doubtful &c. (uncertain) 475.

Adv. what? why? wherefore? whence? whither? where? quaere? how comes it[Lat], how happens it, how is it? what is the reason? what's the matter, what's in the wind? what on earth? when? who? nicht wahr?[Ger].

462. Answer edit

N. answer, response, reply, replication, riposte, rejoinder, surrejoinder^†, rebutter, surrebutter^†, retort, repartee; rescript, rescription^†; antiphon^†, antiphony; acknowledgment; password; echo; counter statement.

discovery &c. 480a; solution &c. (explanation) 522; rationale &c. (cause) 153; clue &c. (indication) 550.

Oedipus; oracle &c. 513; return &c. (record) 551.

V. answer, respond, reply, rebut, retort, rejoin; give for answer, return for answer; acknowledge, echo.

explain &c. (interpret) 522; solve &c. (unriddle) 522; discover &c. 480a; fathom, hunt out &c. (inquire) 461; satisfy, set at rest, determine.

Adj. answering &c. v.; responsive, respondent; conclusive.

Adv. because &c. (cause) 153; on the scent, on the right scent.

Int. eureka!

463. Experiment edit

N. experiment; essay &c. (attempt) 675; analysis &c. (investigation) 461; screen; trial, tentative method, t�tonnement.

verification, probation, experimentum crucis[Lat], proof, (demonstration) 478; criterion, diagnostic, test, probe, crucial test, acid test, litmus test.

crucible, reagent, check, touchstone, pix^†; assay, ordeal; ring; litmus paper, curcuma paper^†, turmeric paper; test tube; analytical instruments &c. 633.

empiricism, rule of thumb.

feeler; trial balloon, pilot balloon, messenger balloon; pilot engine; scout; straw to show the wind.

speculation, random shot, leap in the dark.

analyzer, analyst, assayist^†; adventurer; experimenter, experimentist^†, experimentalist; scientist, engineer, technician.

subject, experimentee^†, guinea pig, experimental animal.

[experimental method] protocol, experimental method, blind experiment, double-blind experiment, controlled experiment.

poll, survey, opinion poll.

epidemiological survey[Med], retrospective analysis, retrospective survey, prospective survey, prospective analysis; statistical analysis.

literature search, library research.

tryout, audition.

[results of experiment] discovery &c 480; measurement &c. 466; evidence &c. 467.

[reasoning about an experiment] deduction, induction, abduction.

V. experiment; essay &c. (endeavor) 675; try, try out, assay; make an experiment, make a trial of; give a trial to; put on trial, subject to trial; experiment upon; rehearse; put to the test, bring to the test, submit to the test, submit to the proof; prove, verify, test, touch, practice upon, try one's strength; road-test, test drive, take for a spin; test fly.

grope; feel one's way, grope for one's way; fumble, t�tonner, aller � t�tons[Fr], put out a feeler, throw out a feeler; send up a trial balloon, send up a pilot balloon; see how the land lies, get the lay of the land, test the waters, feel out, sound out, take the pulse, see, check, check out[coll.], see how the wind blows; consult the barometer; feel the pulse; fish for, bob for; cast for, beat about for; angle, trawl, cast one's net, beat the bushes.

try one's fortune &c. (adventure) 675; explore &c. (inquire) 461.

Adj. experimental, empirical.

probative, probatory^†, probationary, provisional; analytic, docimastic^†; tentative;unverified, unproven, speculative, untested.

Adv. on trial, under examination, on probation, under probation, on one's trial, on approval.

Phr. check it out, give it a try, see how it goes; "Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes."

464. Comparison edit

N. comparison, collation, contrast; identification; comparative estimate, relative estimate, relativity.

simile, similitude, analogy (similarity) 17; allegory &c. (metaphor) 521.

matching, pattern-matching.

[quantitative comparison] ratio, proportion (number) 84.

[results of comparison] discrimination 465; indiscrimination 465a^†; identification 465b.

V. compare to, compare with; collate, confront; place side by side, juxtapose &c. (near) 197; set against one another, pit against one another; contrast, balance.

identify, draw a parallel, parallel.

compare notes; institute a comparison; parva componere magnis[Lat]..

Adj. comparative; metaphorical &c. 521.

compared with &c. v.; comparable; judged by comparison.

Adv. relatively &c. (relation) 9; as compared with &c. v.

Phr. comparisons are odious; " comparisons are odorous " [Much Ado about Nothing].

464a. Incomparability edit

[Lack of comparison]

N. incomparability; incommensurability; indistinguishablility &c. 465a.

Adj. incommensurable, incommensurate; incomparable; different &c.15.

Phr. like apples and oranges; no basis for comparison; no standard for comparison.

465. Discrimination edit

[results of comparison. 1]

N. discrimination, distinction, differentiation, diagnosis, diorism^†; nice perception; perception of difference, appreciation of difference; estimation &c. 466; nicety, refinement; taste &c. 850; critique, judgment; tact; discernment &c. (intelligence) 498; acuteness, penetration; nuances.

dope*, past performances.

V. discriminate, distinguish, severalize^†; recognize, match, identify; separate; draw the line, sift; separate the chaff from the wheat, winnow the chaff from the wheat; separate the men from the boys; split hairs, draw a fine line, nitpick, quibble.

estimate &c. (measure) 466; know which is which, know what is what, know " a hawk from a handsaw" [Hamlet].

take into account, take into consideration; give due weight to, allow due weight to; weigh carefully.

Adj. discriminating &c. v.; dioristic^†, discriminative, distinctive; nice.

Phr. il y a fagots et fagots; rem acu tetigisti[Lat]^†; la critique est aisee et l'art est difficile [Fr]; miles apart; a distinction without a difference.

465a. Indiscrimination edit

[results of comparison. 2]

N. indiscrimination^†, indistinguishability; indistinctness, indistinction^†; uncertainty &c. (doubt) 475; incomparability &c. 464a.

V. not discriminate &c. 465; overlook &c. (neglect) 460 a distinction: confound, confuse.

Adj. indiscriminate; undistinguished|!, indistinguishable, undistinguishable^†; unmeasured; promiscuous, undiscriminating.

Phr. valeat quantum valere potest[Lat.].

465B. Identification edit

[results of comparison. 3]

N. identification, recognition, diagnosis, match; apperception, assimilation; dereplication; classification; memory &c. 505; interpretation &c. 522; cognizance (knowledge) 490.

V. identify, recognize, match, match up; classify; recall, remember &c. (memory) 505; find similarity (similarity) 17; put in its proper place, put in its proper niche, place in order (arrangement) 60.

466. Measurement edit

N. measurement, admeasurement^†, mensuration, survey, valuation, appraisement, assessment, assize; estimate, estimation; dead reckoning, reckoning &c. (numeration) 85; gauging &c. v.; horse power.

metrology, weights and measures, compound arithmetic.

measure, yard measure, standard, rule, foot rule, compass, calipers; gage, gauge; meter, line, rod, check; dividers; velo^†.

flood mark, high water mark; Plimsoll line; index &c. 550.

scale; graduation, graduated scale; nonius^†; vernier &c. (minuteness) 193.

[instruments for measuring] bathometer, galvanometer, heliometer, interferometer, odometer, ombrometer^†, pantometer^†, pluviometer^†, pneumatometer^†, pneumometer^†, radiometer, refractometer, respirometer, rheometer, spirometer^†, telemeter, udometer^†, vacuometer^†, variometer^†, viameter^†, thermometer, thermistor (heat &c. 382), barometer (air &c. 338), anemometer (wind 349), dynamometer, goniometer (angle 244) meter; landmark &c. (limit) 233; balance, scale &c. (weight) 319; marigraph^†, pneumatograph^†, stethograph^†; rain gauge, rain gage; voltmeter(volts) , ammeter(amps); spectrophotometer (light absorbance); mass spectrophotometer(molecular mass); geiger counter, scintillation counter(radioactivity); pycnometer (liquid density) ; graduated cylinder, volumetric flask (volume); radar gun (velocity); radar (distance); side-looking radar (shape, topography); sonar (depth in water); light meter (light intensity); clock, watch, stopwatch, chronometer (time); anemometer (wind velocity); densitometer (color intensity).

measurability, computability, determinability^†.

coordinates, ordinate and abscissa, polar coordinates, latitude and longitude, declination and right ascension, altitude and azimuth.

geometry, stereometry^†, hypsometry^†; metage^†; surveying, land surveying; geodesy, geodetics^†, geodesia^†; orthometry^†, altimetry^†; cadastre[Fr].

astrolabe, armillary sphere^†.

land surveyor; geometer.

V. measure, mete; determine, assay; evaluate, value, assess, rate, appraise, estimate, form an estimate, set a value on; appreciate; standardize.

span, pace step; apply the compass &c. n.; gauge, plumb, probe, sound, fathom; heave the log, heave the lead; survey.

weigh.

take an average &c. 29; graduate.

Adj. measuring &c. v.; metric , metrical;

measurable, perceptible, noticeable, detectable, appreciable, ponderable, determinable, fathomable;

geodetical, topographic, topographical, cartographic, cartographical.

Section III. Materials for Reasoning edit

467. Evidence edit

[On one side.]

N. evidence; facts, premises, data, praecognita[Lat], grounds.

indication &c. 550; criterion &c. (test) 463.

testimony, testification^†, expert testimony; attestation; deposition &c. (affirmation) 535; examination.

admission &c. (assent) 488; authority, warrant, credential, diploma, voucher, certificate, doquet^†, docket; testamur^†; record &c. 551; document; pi ce justificative^†; deed, warranty &c. (security) 771; signature, seal &c. (identification) 550; exhibit, material evidence, objective evidence.

witness, indicator, hostile witness; eyewitness, earwitness, material witness, state's evidence; deponent; sponsor; cojuror^†.

oral evidence, documentary evidence, hearsay evidence, external evidence, extrinsic evidence, internal evidence, intrinsic evidence, circumstantial evidence, cumulative evidence, ex parte evidence[Lat], presumptive evidence, collateral evidence, constructive evidence; proof &c. (demonstration) 478; evidence in chief.

secondary evidence; confirmation, corroboration, support; ratification &c. (assent) 488; authentication; compurgation^†, wager of law, comprobation|.

citation, reference; legal research, literature search (experiment) 463.

V. be evidence &c. n.; evince, show, betoken, tell of; indicate &c. (denote) 550; imply, involve, argue, bespeak, breathe.

have weight, carry weight; tell, speak volumes; speak for itself &c. (manifest) 525.

rest upon, depend upon; repose on.

bear witness &c. n.; give evidence &c. n.; testify, depose, witness, vouch for; sign, seal, undersign^†, set one's hand and seal, sign and seal, deliver as one's act and deed, certify, attest; acknowledge &c. (assent) 488.

[provide conclusive evidence] make absolute, confirm, prove (demonstrate) 478.

[add further evidence] indorse, countersign, corroborate, support, ratify, bear out, uphold, warrant.

adduce, attest, cite, quote; refer to, appeal to; call, call to witness; bring forward, bring into court; allege, plead; produce witnesses, confront witnesses.

place into evidence, mark into evidence.

[obtain evidence] collect evidence, bring together evidence, rake up evidence; experiment &c. 463.

have a case, make out a case; establish, authenticate, substantiate, verify, make good, quote chapter and verse; bring home to, bring to book.

Adj. showing &c. v.; indicative, indicatory; deducible &c. 478; grounded on, founded on, based on; corroborative, confirmatory.

Adv. by inference; according to, witness, a fortiori; still more, still less; raison de plus[Fr]; in corroboration &c. n. of; valeat quantum[Lat]; under seal, under one's hand and seal.

Phr. dictum de dicto[Lat]; mise en evidence[Fr.].

468. Counter evidence edit

[Evidence on the other side, on the other hand.]

N. counter evidence; evidence on the other side, evidence on the other hand; conflicting evidence, contradictory evidence, opposing evidence; disproof, refutation &c. 479; negation &c. 536.

plea &c. 617; vindication &c. 937 counter protest; "tu quoque" argument; other side of the shield, other side of the coin, reverse of the shield.

V. countervail, oppose; mitigate against; rebut &c. (refute) 479; subvert &c. (destroy) 162; cheek, weaken; contravene; contradict &c. (deny) 536; tell the other side of the story, tell another story, turn the scale, alter the case; turn the tables; cut both ways; prove a negative.

audire alteram partem[Lat].

Adj. countervailing &c. v.; contradictory.

unattested, unauthenticated, unsupported by evidence; supposititious.

Adv. on the contrary, per contra.

469. Qualification edit

N. qualification, limitation, modification, coloring.

allowance, grains of allowance, consideration, extenuating circumstances; mitigation.

condition, proviso, prerequisite, contingency, stipulation, provision, specification, sine qua non[Lat]; catch, string, strings attached; exemption; exception, escape clause, salvo, saving clause; discount &c. 813; restriction; fine print.

V. qualify, limit, modify, leaven, give a color to, introduce new conditions, narrow, temper.

waffle, quibble, hem and haw (be uncertain) 475; equivocate (sophistry) 477.

depend, depend on, be contingent on (effect) 154.

allow for, make allowance for; admit exceptions, take into account; modulate.

moderate, temper, season, leaven.

take exception.

Adj. qualifying &c. v.; qualified, conditioned, restricted, hedged; conditional; exceptional &c. (unconformable) 83.

hypothetical &c. (supposed) 514; contingent &c. (uncertain) 475.

Adv. provided, provided that, provided always; if, unless, but, yet; according as; conditionally, admitting, supposing; on the supposition of &c. (theoretically) 514; with the understanding, even, although, though, for all that, after all, at all events.

approximately &c. 197, 17; in a limited degree (smallness) 32; somewhat, sort of, something like that, to a certain extent, to a degree, in a sense, so to speak.

with grains of allowance, cum grano salis[Latin: with a grain of salt]; exceptis excipiendis[Lat]; wind and weather permitting; if possible &c. 470.

subject to, conditioned upon; with this proviso &c. n.

Phr. "if the good lord is willing and the creeks don't rise"; catch- 22.

Adj. uncertain; casual; random &c. (aimless) 621; changeable &c. 149.

doubtful, dubious; indecisive; unsettled, undecided, undetermined; in suspense, open to discussion; controvertible; in question &c. (inquiry) 461.

vague; indeterminate, indefinite; ambiguous, equivocal; undefined, undefinable; confused &c. (indistinct) 447; mystic, oracular; dazed.

perplexing &c. v.; enigmatic, paradoxical, apocryphal, problematical, hypothetical; experimental &c. 463.

unpredictable, unforeseeable (unknowable) 519.

fallible, questionable, precarious, slippery, ticklish, debatable, disputable; unreliable, untrustworthy.

contingent, contingent on, dependent on; subject to; dependent on circumstances; occasional; provisional.

unauthentic, unauthenticated, unauthoritative; unascertained, unconfirmed; undemonstrated; untold, uncounted.

in a state of uncertainty, in a cloud, in a maze; bushed, off the track; ignorant.&c. 491; afraid to say; out of one's reckoning, astray, adrift; at sea, at fault, at a loss, at one's wit's end, at a nonplus; puzzled &c. v.; lost, abroad, d�sorient�; distracted, distraught.

Adv. pendente lite[Lat]; sub spe rati[Lat].

Phr. Heaven knows; who can tell? who shall decide when doctors disagree? ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces[Lat].

Section IV. Reasoning Processes edit

476. Reasoning edit

N. {ant. 477} reasoning ratiocination rationalism; dialectics, induction, generalization.

discussion, comment; ventilation; inquiry &c. 461.

argumentation, controversy, debate; polemics, wrangling; contention &c. 720 logomachy^†; disputation, disceptation^†; paper war.

art of reasoning, logic.

process of reasoning, train of reasoning, chain of reasoning; deduction, induction, abduction; synthesis, analysis.

argument; case, plaidoyer^†, opening; lemma, proposition, terms, premises, postulate, data, starting point, principle; inference &c. (judgment) 480.

prosyllogism^†, syllogism; enthymeme^†, sorites^†, dilemma, perilepsis^†, a priori reasoning, reductio ad absurdum, horns of a dilemma, argumentum ad hominem [Lat.], comprehensive argument; empirema^†, epagoge^†.

[person who reasons] reasoner, logician, dialectician; disputant; controversialist, controvertist^†; wrangler, arguer, debater, polemic, casuist, rationalist; scientist; eristic^†.

logical sequence; good case; correct just reasoning, sound reasoning, valid reasoning, cogent reasoning, logical reasoning, forcible reasoning, persuasive reasoning, persuasory reasoning^†, consectary reasoning|, conclusive &c. 478 ; subtle reasoning; force of argument, strong point, strong argument, persuasive argument.

arguments, reasons, pros and cons.

V. reason, argue, discuss, debate, dispute, wrangle, argufy^†, bandy words, bandy arguments; chop logic; hold an argument, carry on an argument; controvert &c. (deny) 536; canvass; comment upon, moralize upon; spiritualize; consider &c. (examine) 461.

open a discussion, open a case; try conclusions; join issue, be at issue; moot; come to the point; stir a question, agitate a question, ventilate a question, torture a question; take up a side, take up a case.

contend, take one's stand upon, insist, lay stress on; infer &c. 480.

follow from &c. (demonstration) 478.

Adj. reasoning &c. v.; rationalistic; argumentative, controversial, dialectic, polemical; discursory^†, discursive; disputatious; Aristotelian^†, eristic^†, eristical^†.

debatable, controvertible.

logical; relevant &c. 23.

Adv. for, because, hence, whence, seeing that, since, sith^†, then thence so; for that reason, for this reason, for which reason; for as, inasmuch as; whereas, ex concesso[Lat], considering, in consideration of; therefore, wherefore; consequently, ergo, thus, accordingly; a fortiori.

in conclusion, in fine; finally, after all, au bout du compt[Fr], on the whole, taking one thing with another.

Phr. ab actu ad posse valet consecutio [Lat]; per troppo dibatter la verita si perde [It]; troppo disputare la verita fa errare [It].

477. Intuition edit

[The absence of reasoning.] Intuition. [False or vicious reasoning; show of reason.]

Sophistry. -- N. intuition, instinct, association, hunch, gut feeling; presentiment, premonition; rule of thumb; superstition; astrology^†; faith (supposition) 514.

sophistry, paralogy^†, perversion, casuistry, jesuitry, equivocation, evasion; chicane, chicanery; quiddet^†, quiddity; mystification; special pleading; speciousness &c. adj.; nonsense &c. 497; word sense, tongue sense.

false reasoning, vicious reasoning, circular reasoning; petitio principii[Lat], ignoratio elenchi[Lat]; post hoc ergo propter hoc[Lat]; non sequitur, ignotum per ignotius[Lat].

misjudgment &c. 481; false teaching &c. 538.

sophism, solecism, paralogism^†; quibble, quirk, elenchus^†, elench^†, fallacy, quodlibet, subterfuge, subtlety, quillet^†; inconsistency, antilogy^†; "a delusion, a mockery, and a snare" [Denman]; claptrap, cant, mere words; "lame and impotent conclusion" [Othello].

meshes of sophistry, cobwebs of sophistry; flaw in an argument; weak point, bad case.

overrefinement^†; hairsplitting &c. v.

V. judge intuitively, judge by intuition; hazard a proposition, hazard a guess, talk at random.

reason ill, falsely &c. adj.; misjudge &c. 481; paralogize^†.

take on faith, take as a given; assume (supposition) 514.

pervert, quibble; equivocate, mystify, evade, elude; gloss over, varnish; misteach &c. 538^†; mislead &c. (error) 495; cavil, refine, subtilize^†, split hairs; misrepresent &c. (lie) 544.

beg the question, reason in a circle, reason in circles, assume the conclusion.

cut blocks with a razor, beat about the bush, play fast and loose, play fast and loose with the facts, blow hot and cold, prove that black is white and white black, travel out of the record, parler a tort et a travers[Fr]^†, put oneself out of court, not have a leg to stand on.

judge hastily, shoot from the hip, jump to conclusions (misjudgment) 481.

Adj. intuitive, instinctive, impulsive; independent of reason, anterior to reason; gratuitous, hazarded; unconnected.

unreasonable, illogical, false, unsound, invalid; unwarranted, not following; inconsequent, inconsequential; inconsistent; absonous|, absonant^†; unscientific; untenable, inconclusive, incorrect; fallacious, fallible; groundless, unproved; non sequitur[Latin: it does not follow].

deceptive, sophistical, jesuitical; illusive, illusory; specious, hollow, plausible, ad captandum[Lat], evasive; irrelevant &c. 10.

weak, feeble, poor, flimsy, loose, vague.

irrational; nonsensical &c. (absurd) 497.

foolish &c. (imbecile) 499; frivolous, pettifogging, quibbling; finespun^†, overrefined^†.

at the end of one's tether, au bout de son latin.

Adv. intuitively &c. adj.; by intuition; illogically &c. adj.

Phr. non constat[Lat]; that goes for nothing.

478. Demonstration edit

N. {ant. 479} demonstration, proof, rigorous proof; conclusiveness &c. adj.; apodeixis^†, apodixis^†, probation, comprobation|.

logic of facts &c. (evidence) 467; experimentum crucis &c. (test) 463[Lat]; argument &c. 476; rigorous establishment, absolute establishment.

conviction, cogency, (persuasion) 484.

V. demonstrate, prove, establish; make good; show, evince, manifest &c. (be evidence of) 467; confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify &c. 467 settle the question, reduce to demonstration, set the question at rest.

make out, make out a case; prove one's point, have the best of the argument; draw a conclusion &c. (judge) 480.

follow, follow of course, follow as a matter of course, follow necessarily; stand to reason; hold good, hold water.

convince, persuade (belief) 484.

Adj. demonstrating &c. v., demonstrative, demonstrable; probative, unanswerable, conclusive; apodictic^†, apodeictic^†, apodeictical^†; irresistible, irrefutable, irrefragable; necessary.

categorical, decisive, crucial.

demonstrated &c. v.; proven; unconfuted^†, unanswered, unrefuted^†; evident &c. 474.

deducible, consequential, consectary^†, inferential, following.

[demonstrated to one's satisfaction] convincing, cogent, persuasive (believable) 484.

Adv. of course, in consequence, consequently, as a matter of course; necessarily, of necessity.

Phr. probatum est[Lat]; there is nothing more to be said; quod est demonstrandum[Lat], Q.E.D.; it must follow; exitus acta probat[Lat].

479. Confutation edit

N. {ant 478} confutation, refutation; answer, complete answer; disproof, conviction, redargution^†, invalidation; exposure, exposition; clincher; retort; reductio ad absurdum; knock down argument, tu quoque argument[Lat]; sockdolager * ^†[U. S.].

correction &c. 527a; dissuasion &c. 616.

V. confute, refute, disprove; parry, negative, controvert, rebut, confound, disconfirm, redargue^†, expose, show the fallacy of, defeat; demolish, break &c. (destroy) 162; overthrow, overturn scatter to the winds, explode, invalidate; silence; put to silence, reduce to silence; clinch an argument, clinch a question; give one a setdown^†, stop the mouth, shut up; have, have on the hip.

not leave a leg to stand on, cut the ground from under one's feet.

be confuted &c.; fail; expose one's weak point, show one's weak point.

counter evidence &c. 468.

Adj. confuting, confuted, &c. v.; capable of refutation; refutable, confutable^†, defeasible.

contravene (counter evidence) 468.

condemned on one's own showing,condemned out of one's own mouth.

Phr. the argument falls to the ground, cadit quaestio[Lat], it does not hold water, " suo sibi gladio hunc jugulo" [Terence]; his argument was demolished by new evidence.

Section V. Results Of Reasoning edit

480. Judgment edit

[Conclusion.]

N. result, conclusion, upshot; deduction, inference, ergotism[Med]; illation; corollary, porism^†; moral.

estimation, valuation, appreciation, judication^†; dijudication^†, adjudication; arbitrament, arbitrement^†, arbitration; assessment, ponderation^†; valorization.

award, estimate; review, criticism, critique, notice, report.

decision, determination, judgment, finding, verdict, sentence, decree; findings of fact; findings of law; res judicata[Lat].

plebiscite, voice, casting vote; vote &c. (choice) 609; opinion &c. (belief) 484; good judgment &c. (wisdom) 498.

judge, umpire; arbiter, arbitrator; asessor, referee.

censor, reviewer, critic; connoisseur; commentator &c. 524; inspector, inspecting officer.

twenty-twenty hindsight[judgment after the fact]; armchair general, monday morning quarterback.

V. judge, conclude; come to a conclusion, draw a conclusion, arrive at a conclusion; ascertain, determine, make up one's mind.

deduce, derive, gather, collect, draw an inference, make a deduction, weet|, ween^†.

form an estimate, estimate, appreciate, value, count, assess, rate, rank, account; regard, consider, think of; look upon &c. (believe) 484; review; size up *.

settle; pass an opinion, give an opinion; decide, try, pronounce, rule; pass judgment, pass sentence; sentence, doom; find; give judgment, deliver judgment; adjudge, adjudicate; arbitrate, award, report; bring in a verdict; make absolute, set a question at rest; confirm &c. (assent) 488.

comment, criticize, kibitz; pass under review &c. (examine) 457; investigate &c. (inquire) 461.

hold the scales, sit in judgment; try judgment, hear a cause.

Adj. judging &c. v.; judicious &c. (wise) 498; determinate, conclusive.

Adv. on the whole, all things considered.

Phr. "a Daniel come to judgment" [Merchant of Venice]; "and stand a critic, hated yet caress'd" [Byron]; "it is much easier to be critical than to be correct" [Disraeli]; la critique est aisee et l'art est difficile[Fr]; "nothing if not critical" [Othello]; "O most lame and impotent conclusion" [Othello].

480a. Discovery edit

[Result of search or inquiry.]

N. discovery, detection, disenchantment; ascertainment^†, disclosure, find, revelation.

trover &c.(recovery) 775[Law].

V. discover, find, determine, evolve, learn &c. 539; fix upon; pick up; find out, trace out, make out, hunt out, fish out, worm out, ferret out, root out; fathom; bring out, draw out; educe, elicit, bring to light; dig out, grub up, fish up; unearth, disinter.

solve, resolve, elucidate; unriddle, unravel, unlock, crack, crack open; pick up, open the lock; find a clue, find clew a to, find the key to the riddle; interpret &c. 522; disclose &c. 529.

trace, get at; hit it, have it; lay one's finger, lay one's hands upon; spot; get at the truth, arrive at the truth &c. 494; put the saddle on the right horse, hit the right nail on the head.

be near the truth, be warm, get warmer, burn; smoke, scent, sniff, catch a whiff of, smell a rat.

open the eyes to; see through, see daylight, see in its true colors, see the cloven foot; detect; catch, catch tripping.

pitch upon, fall upon, light upon, hit upon, stumble upon, pop upon; come across ,come onto; meet with, meet up with, fall in with.

recognize, realize; verify, make certain of, identify.

Int. eureka! aha^†! I've got it!

481. Misjudgment edit

N. misjudgment, obliquity of judgment; miscalculation, miscomputation, misconception &c. (error) 495; hasty conclusion.

[causes of misjudgment. 1] prejudgment, prejudication^†, prejudice; foregone conclusion; prenotion^†, prevention, preconception, predilection, prepossession, preapprehension^†, presumption, assumption, presentiment; fixed idea, preconceived idea; idée fixe; mentis gratissimus error[Lat]; fool's paradise.

[causes of misjudgment.2] esprit de corps, party spirit, partisanship, clannishness, prestige.

[causes of misjudgment. 3] bias, bigotry, warp, twist; hobby, fad, quirk, crotchet, partiality, infatuation, blind side, mote in the eye.

[causes of misjudgment. 4] one-sided views, one-track mind, partial views, narrow views, confined views, superficial views, one-sided ideas, partial ideas, narrow ideas, confined ideas, superficial ideas, one-sided conceptions, partial conceptions, narrow conceptions, confined conceptions, superficial conceptions, one-sided notions, partial notions, narrow notions, confined notions, superficial notions; narrow mind; bigotry &c. (obstinacy) 606; odium theologicum[Lat]; pedantry; hypercriticism.

doctrinaire &c. (positive) 474.

[causes of misjudgment. 5] overestimation &c. 482; underestimation &c. 483.

[causes of misjudgment. 6] ignorance &c. 491. erroneous assumptions, erroneous data, mistaken assumptions, incorrect assumptions (error) 495.

V. misjudge, misestimate, misthink^†, misconjecture^†, misconceive &c. (error) 495; fly in the face of facts; miscalculate, misreckon, miscompute.

overestimate &c. 482; underestimate &c. 483.

prejudge, forejudge; presuppose, presume, prejudicate^†; dogmatize; have a bias &c. n.; have only one idea; jurare in verba magistri[Lat], run away with the notion; jump to a conclusion, rush to a conclusion, leap to a conclusion, judge hastily, shoot from the hip, jump to conclusions; look only at one side of the shield; view with jaundiced eye, view through distorting spectacles; not see beyond one's nose; dare pondus fumo[Lat]; get the wrong sow by the ear &c. (blunder) 699.

give a bias, give a twist; bias, warp, twist; prejudice, prepossess.

Adj. misjudging &c. v.; ill-judging, wrong-headed; prejudiced &c. v.; jaundiced; shortsighted, purblind; partial, one-sided, superficial.

narrow-minded, narrow-souled^†; mean-spirited; confined, illiberal, intolerant, besotted, infatuated, fanatical, entete[Fr], positive, dogmatic, conceited; opinative, opiniative^†; opinioned, opinionate, opinionative, opinionated; self-opinioned, wedded to an opinion, opini�tre; bigoted &c. (obstinate) 606; crotchety, fussy, impracticable; unreasonable, stupid &c. 499; credulous &c 486; warped.

misjudged &c. v.

Adv. ex parte[Lat].

Phr. nothing like leather; the wish the father to the thought; wishful thinking; unshakable conviction; "my mind is made up - don't bother me with the facts".

482. Overestimation edit

N. overestimation &c. v.; exaggeration &c. 549; vanity &c. 880; optimism, pessimism, pessimist. much cry and little wool, much ado about nothing,; storm in a teacup, tempest in a teacup; fine talking.

V. overestimate, overrate, overvalue, overprize, overweigh, overreckon^†, overstrain, overpraise; eulogize; estimate too highly, attach too much importance to, make mountains of molehills, catch at straws; strain, magnify; exaggerate &c. 549; set too high a value upon; think much of, make much of, think too much of, make too much of; outreckon^†; panegyrize^†.

extol, extol to the skies; make the most of, make the best of, make the worst of; make two bites of a cherry.

have too high an opinion of oneself &c. (vanity) 880.

Adj. overestimated &c. v.; oversensitive &c. (sensibility) 822.

Phr. all his geese are swans; parturiunt montes[Lat].

483. Underestimation edit

N. underestimation; depreciation &c. (detraction) 934; pessimism, pessimist; undervaluing &c. v.; modesty &c. 881.

V. underrate, underestimate, undervalue, underreckon^†; depreciate; disparage &c. (detract) 934; not do justice to; misprize, disprize; ridicule &c. 856; slight &c. (despise) 930; neglect &c. 460; slur over.

make light of, make little of, make nothing of, make no account of; belittle; minimize, think nothing of; set no store by, set at naught; shake off as dewdrops from the lion's mane.

Adj. depreciating, depreciated &c. v.; unvalued, unprized^†.

484. Belief edit

N. belief; credence; credit; assurance; faith, trust, troth, confidence, presumption, sanguine expectation &c. (hope) 858; dependence on, reliance on.

persuasion, conviction, convincement^†, plerophory^†, self- conviction; certainty &c. 474; opinion, mind, view; conception, thinking; impression &c. (idea) 453; surmise &c. 514; conclusion &c. (judgment) 480.

tenet, dogma, principle, way of thinking; popular belief &c. (assent) 488.

firm belief, implicit belief, settled belief, fixed rooted deep-rooted belief, staunch belief, unshaken belief, steadfast belief, inveterate belief, calm belief, sober belief, dispassionate belief, impartial belief, well-founded belief, firm opinion, implicit opinion, settled opinion, fixed rooted deep-rooted opinion, staunch opinion, unshaken opinion, steadfast opinion, inveterate opinion, calm opinion, sober opinion, dispassionate opinion, impartial opinion, well-founded opinion &c.; uberrima fides[Lat]^†.

system of opinions, school, doctrine, articles, canons; article of faith, declaration of faith, profession of faith; tenets, credenda^†, creed; thirty-nine articles &c. (orthodoxy) 983a; catechism; assent &c. 488; propaganda &c. (teaching) 537.

credibility &c. (probability) 472.

V. believe, credit; give faith to, give credit to, credence to; see, realize; assume, receive; set down for, take for; have it, take it; consider, esteem, presume.

count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon; lay one's account for; make sure of.

make oneself easy about, on that score; take on trust, take on credit; take for granted, take for gospel; allow some weight to, attach some weight to.

know, know for certain; have know, make no doubt; doubt not; be, rest assured &c. adj.; persuade oneself, assure oneself, satisfy oneself; make up one's mind.

give one credit for; confide in, believe in, put one's trust in; place in, repose in, implicit confidence in; take one's word for, at one's word; place reliance on, rely upon, swear by, regard to.

think, hold; take, take it; opine, be of opinion, conceive, trow^†, ween^†, fancy, apprehend; have it, hold a belief, possess, entertain a belief, adopt a belief, imbibe a belief, embrace a belief, get hold of a belief, hazard, foster, nurture a belief, cherish a belief, have an opinion, hold an opinion, possess, entertain an opinion, adopt an opinion, imbibe an opinion, embrace an opinion, get hold of an opinion, hazard an opinion, foster an opinion, nurture an opinion, cherish an opinion &c. n.

view as, consider as, take as, hold as, conceive as, regard as, esteem as, deem as, look upon as, account as, set down as; surmise &c. 514.

get it into one's head, take it into one's head; come round to an opinion; swallow &c. (credulity) 486.

cause to be believed &c. v.; satisfy, persuade, have the ear of, gain the confidence of, assure; convince, convict|!, convert; wean, bring round; bring over, win over; indoctrinate &c. (teach) 537; cram down the throat; produce conviction, carry conviction; bring home to, drive home to.

go down, find credence, pass current; be received &c. v., be current &c. adj.; possess, take hold of, take possession of the mind.

Adj. believing &c. v.; certain, sure, assured, positive, cocksure, satisfied, confident, unhesitating, convinced, secure.

under the impression; impressed with, imbued with, penetrated with.

confiding, suspectless^†; unsuspecting, unsuspicious; void of suspicion; credulous &c. 486; wedded to.

believed &c. v.; accredited, putative; unsuspected.

worthy of, deserving of, commanding belief; credible, reliable, trustworthy, to be depended on; satisfactory; probably &c. 472; fiducial^†, fiduciary; persuasive, impressive.

relating to belief, doctrinal.

Adv. in the opinion of, in the eyes of; me judice[Lat]; meseems^†, methinks; to the best of one's belief; I dare say, I doubt not, I have no doubt, I am sure; sure enough &c. (certainty) 474; depend upon, rely upon it; be assured, rest assured; I'll warrant you &c. (affirmation) 535.

Phr. experto crede [Lat][Vergil]; fata viam invenient [Lat]; Justitiae soror incorrupta Fides[Lat]; "live to explain thy doctrine by thy life" [Prior]; "stands not within the prospect of belief" [Macbeth]; tarde quae credita laedunt credimus [Lat][Ovid]; vide et crede [Lat].

485. Unbelief edit

N. unbelief, disbelief, misbelief; discredit, miscreance^†; infidelity &c. (irreligion) 989^†; dissent &c. 489; change of opinion &c. 484; retraction &c. 607.

doubt &c. (uncertainty) 475; skepticism, scepticism, misgiving, demure; distrust, mistrust, cynicism; misdoubt^†, suspicion, jealousy, scruple, qualm; onus probandi[Lat].

incredibility, incredibleness; incredulity.

[person who doubts] doubter, skeptic, cynic.; unbeliever &c. 487.

V. disbelieve, discredit; not believe &c. 484; misbelieve^†; refuse to admit &c. (dissent) 489; refuse to believe &c. (incredulity) 487.

doubt; be doubtful &c. (uncertain) 475; doubt the truth of; be skeptical as to &c. adj.; diffide|; distrust, mistrust; suspect, smoke, scent, smell a rat; have doubts, harbor doubts, entertain doubts, suspicions; have one's doubts.

demure, stick at, pause, hesitate, scruple; stop to consider, waver.

hang in suspense, hang in doubt.

throw doubt upon, raise a question; bring in, call in question; question, challenge, dispute; deny &c. 536; cavil; cause a doubt, raise a doubt, start a doubt, suggest a doubt, awake a doubt, make suspicion; ergotize^†.

startle, stagger; shake one's faith, shake one's belief, stagger one's faith, stagger one's belief.

Adj. unbelieving; skeptical, sceptical.

[transitive] incredulous as to, skeptical as to; distrustful as to, shy as to, suspicious of; doubting &c. v.

doubtful &c. (uncertain) 475; disputable; unworthy of, undeserving of belief &c. 484; questionable; suspect, suspicious; open to suspicion, open to doubt; staggering, hard to believe, incredible, unbelievable, not to be believed, inconceivable; impossible &c. 471.

fallible &c. (uncertain) 475; undemonstrable; controvertible &c. (untrue) 495.

Adv. cum grano salis[Latin: with a grain of salt]; with grains of allowance.

Phr. fronti nulla fides[Lat]; nimium ne crede colori [Lat][Vergil]; "timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" [Latin: I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts][Vergil], beware of Greeks bearing gifts; credat Judaeus Apella [Lat][Horace]; let those believe who may; ad tristem partem stenua est suspicio [Lat][Syrus].

486. Credulity edit

N. credulity, credulousness &c. adj.; cullibility|, gullibility; gross credulity, infatuation; self delusion, self deception; superstition; one's blind side; bigotry &c. (obstinacy) 606; hyperorthodoxy &c. 984^†; misjudgment &c. 481.

credulous person &c (dupe) 547.

V. be credulous &c. adj.; jurare in verba magistri[Lat]; follow implicitly; swallow, gulp down; take on trust; take for granted, take for gospel; run away with a notion, run away with an idea; jump to a conclusion, rush to a conclusion; think the moon is made of green cheese; take for granted, grasp the shadow for the substance; catch at straws, grasp at straws.

impose upon &c. (deceive) 545.

Adj. credulous, gullible; easily deceived &c. 545; simple, green, soft, childish, silly, stupid; easily convinced; over-credulous, over confident, over trustful; infatuated, superstitious; confiding &c. (believing) 484.

Phr. the wish the father to the thought; credo quia impossibile [Lat][Tertullian]; all is not gold that glitters; no es oro todo lo que reluce[Sp]; omne ignotum pro magnifico[Lat].

487. Incredulity edit

N. incredulousness^†, incredulity; skepticism, pyrrhonism|!; want of faith &c. (irreligion) 989^†.

suspiciousness &c. adj.; scrupulosity; suspicion &c. (unbelief) 485.

mistrust, cynicism.

unbeliever, skeptic, cynic; misbeliever.1, pyrrhonist; heretic &c. (heterodox) 984.

V. be incredulous &c. adj.; distrust &c. (disbelieve) 485; refuse to believe; shut one's eyes to, shut one's ears to; turn a deaf ear to; hold aloof, ignore, nullis jurare in verba magistri[Lat].

Adj. incredulous, skeptical, unbelieving, inconvincible^†; hard of belief, shy of belief, disposed to doubt, indisposed to believe; suspicious, scrupulous, distrustful, cynical;. 1The word miscreant, which originally meant simply misbeliever, has now quite another meaning (949). See Trench, On the Study of Words, p. 71.

488. Assent edit

N. assent, assentment^†; acquiescence, admission; nod; accord, concord, concordance; agreement &c. 23; affirmance, affirmation; recognition, acknowledgment, avowal; confession of faith.

unanimity, common consent, consensus, acclamation, chorus, vox populi; popular belief, current belief, current opinion; public opinion; concurrence &c. (of causes) 178; cooperation &c. (voluntary) 709.

ratification, confirmation, corroboration, approval, acceptance, visa; indorsement &c. (record) 551^†.

consent &c. (compliance) 762.

pressure to conform, herd instinct, peer pressure.

V. assent; give assent, yield assent, nod assent; acquiesce; agree &c. 23; receive, accept, accede, accord, concur, lend oneself to, consent, coincide, reciprocate, go with; be at one with &c. adj.; go along with, chime in with, strike in with, close in with; echo, enter into one's views, agree in opinion; vote, give one's voice for; recognize; subscribe to, conform to, defer to; say yes to, say ditto, amen to, say aye to.

acknowledge, own, admit, allow, avow, confess; concede &c. (yield) 762; come round to; abide by; permit &c. 760.

arrive at an understanding, come to an understanding, come to terms, come to an agreement.

confirm, affirm; ratify, appprove, indorse, countersign; corroborate &c. 467.

go with the stream, swim with the stream, go with the flow, blow with the wind; be in fashion, join in the chorus, join the crowd, be one of the guys, be part of the group, go with the crowd, don't make waves; be in every mouth.

Adj. assenting &c. v; of one accord, of one mind; of the same mind, at one with, agreed, acquiescent, content; willing &c. 602.

uncontradicted, unchallenged, unquestioned, uncontroverted.

carried, agreed, nem[abbr]. con. &c. adv[abbr: nemine contradicente].; unanimous; agreed on all hands, carried by acclamation.

affirmative &c. 535.

Adv. yes, yea, ay, aye, true; good; well; very well, very true; well and good; granted; even so, just so; to be sure, "thou hast said", you said it, you said a mouthful; truly, exactly, precisely, that's just it, indeed, certainly, you bet, certes[Lat], ex concesso[Lat]; of course, unquestionably, assuredly, no doubt, doubtless; naturally, natch.

be it so; so be it, so let it be; amen; willingly &c. 602.

affirmatively, in the affirmative.

OK, all right, might as well, why not?

with one consent, with one voice, with one accord; unanimously, una voce, by common consent, in chorus, to a man; nem[abbr]. con.[abbr: nemine contradicente], nemine dissentiente[Lat]; without a dissentient voice; as one man, one and all, on all hands.

Phr. avec plaisir[Fr]; chi tace accousente[It]^†; "the public mind is the creation of the Master-Writers" [Disraeli]; you bet your sweet ass it is; what are we waiting for? whenever you're ready; anytime you're ready.

489. Dissent edit

N. dissent; discordance &c. (disagreement) 24; difference diversity of opinion.

nonconformity &c. (heterodoxy) 984; protestantism, recusancy, schism; disaffection; secession &c. 624; recantation &c. 607.

dissension &c (discord) 713; discontent &c. 832; cavilling.

protest; contradiction &c (denial) 536; noncompliance &c (rejection) 764.

dissentient, dissenter; non-juror, non-content, nonconformist; sectary, separatist, recusant, schismatic, protestant, heretic.

refusal &c. 764.

V. dissent, demur; call in question &c. (doubt) 485; differ in opinion, disagree; say no &c. 536; refuse assent, refuse to admit; cavil, protest, raise one's voice against, repudiate; contradict &c. (deny) 536.

have no notion of, differ toto caelo[Lat]; revolt at, revolt from the idea.

shake the head, shrug the shoulders; look askance, look askant^†.

secede; recant &c. 607.

Adj. dissenting &c. v; negative &c. 536; dissident, dissentient; unconsenting &c. (refusing) 764; non-content, nonjuring^†; protestant, recusant; unconvinced, unconverted.

unavowed, unacknowledged; out of the question.

discontented &c. 832; unwilling &c. 603; extorted.

sectarian, denominational, schismatic; heterodox; intolerant.

Adv. no &c. 536; at variance, at issue with; under protest.

Int. God forbid! not for the world; I'll be hanged if; never tell me; your humble servant, pardon me.

Phr. many men many minds; quot homines tot sententiae [Lat][Terence]; tant s'en faut[Fr]; il s'en faut bien[Fr];no way; by no means; count me out.

490. Knowledge edit

N. knowledge; cognizance, cognition, cognoscence|; acquaintance, experience, ken, privity^†, insight, familiarity; comprehension, apprehension; recognition; appreciation &c. (judgment) 480; intuition; conscience, consciousness; perception, precognition; acroamatics|!.

light, enlightenment; glimpse, inkling; glimmer, glimmering; dawn; scent, suspicion; impression &c. (idea) 453; discovery &c. 480a.

system of knowledge, body of knowledge; science, philosophy, pansophy^†; acroama|!; theory, aetiology^†, etiology; circle of the sciences; pandect^†, doctrine, body of doctrine; cyclopedia, encyclopedia; school &c. (system of opinions) 484.

tree of knowledge; republic of letters &c. (language) 560.

erudition, learning, lore, scholarship, reading, letters; literature; book madness; book learning, bookishness; bibliomania^†, bibliolatry^†; information, general information; store of knowledge &c.; education &c. (teaching) 537; culture, menticulture^†, attainments; acquirements, acquisitions; accomplishments; proficiency; practical knowledge &c. (skill) 698; liberal education; dilettantism; rudiments &c (beginning) 66.

deep knowledge, profound knowledge, solid knowledge, accurate knowledge, acroatic knowledge^†, acroamatic knowledge^†, vast knowledge, extensive knowledge, encyclopedic knowledge, encyclopedic learning; omniscience, pantology^†.

march of intellect; progress of science, advance of science, advance of learning; schoolmaster abroad.

[person who knows much] scholar &c. 492.

V. know, ken, scan, wot^†; wot aware^†, be aware &c. adj.- of; ween^†, weet^†, trow^†, have, possess.

conceive; apprehend, comprehend; take, realize, understand, savvy* [U.S.], appreciate; fathom, make out; recognize, discern, perceive, see, get a sight-of, experience.

know full well; have some knowledge of, possess some knowledge of; be au courant &c. adj.; have in one's head, have at one' fingers ends; know by heart, know by rote; be master of; connaitre le dessous des cartes[Fr], know what's what &c. 698.

see one's way; discover &c. 480a.

come to one's knowledge &c. (information) 527.

Adj. knowing &c. v.; cognitive; acroamatic^†.

aware of, cognizant of, conscious of; acquainted with, made acquainted with; privy to, no stranger to; au -fait, au courant; in the secret; up to, alive to; behind the scenes, behind the curtain; let into; apprized of, informed of; undeceived.

proficient with, versed with, read with, forward with, strong with, at home in; conversant with, familiar with.

erudite, instructed, leaned, lettered, educated; well conned, well informed, well read, well grounded, well educated; enlightened, shrewd, savant, blue, bookish, scholastic, solid, profound, deep-read, book- learned; accomplished &c (skillful) 698; omniscient; self-taught.

known &c. v.; ascertained, well-known, recognized, received, notorious, noted; proverbial; familiar, familiar as household words, familiar to every schoolboy; hackneyed, trite, trivial, commonplace.

cognoscible^†, cognizable.

Adv. to one's knowledge, to the best of one's knowledge.

Phr. one's eyes being opened &c. (disclosure) 529; ompredre tout c'est tout pardonner[French: to know all is to pardon all]; empta dolore docet experientia[Lat];<gr gnothi="" seauton="" gr="">[Grk]; "half our knowledge we must snatch not take" [Pope]; Jahre lehren mehr als Bucher[German: years teach more than books]; "knowledge comes but wisdom lingers"[Tennyson]; "knowledge is power" [Bacon]; les affaires font les hommes [Fr]; nec scire fas est omnia [Lat][Horace]; "the amassed thought and experience of innumerable minds" [Emerson]; was ich nicht weiss macht mich nicht heiss[Ger]. </gr>

491. Ignorance edit

N. ignorance, nescience, tabula rasa[Lat], crass ignorance, ignorance crasse[Fr]; unfamiliarity, unacquaintance^†; unconsciousness &c. adj.; darkness, blindness; incomprehension, inexperience, simplicity.

unknown quantities, x, y, z.

sealed book, terra incognita, virgin soil, unexplored ground; dark ages.

[Imperfect knowledge] smattering, sciolism^†, glimmering, dilettantism; bewilderment &c. (uncertainty) 475; incapacity.

[Affectation of knowledge] pedantry; charlatanry, charlatism^†; Philister^†, Philistine.

V. be ignorant &c. adj.; not know &c. 490; know not, know not what, know nothing of; have no idea, have no notion, have no conception; not have the remotest idea; not know chalk from cheese.

ignore, be blind to; keep in ignorance &c. (conceal) 528.

see through a glass darkly; have a film over the eyes, have a glimmering &c. n.; wonder whether; not know what to make of &c. (unintelligibility) 519; not pretend to take upon, not take upon one self to say.

Adj. ignorant; nescient; unknowing, unaware, unacquainted, unapprised, unapprized^†, unwitting, unweeting|, unconscious; witless, weetless^†; a stranger to; unconversant^†.

uninformed, uncultivated, unversed, uninstructed, untaught, uninitiated, untutored, unschooled, misguided, unenlightened; Philistine; behind the age.

shallow, superficial, green, rude, empty, half-learned, illiterate; unread, uninformed, uneducated, unlearned, unlettered, unbookish; empty- headed ,dizzy, wooly-headed; pedantic;

in the dark; benighted, belated; blinded, blindfolded; hoodwinked; misinformed; au bout de son latin, at the end of his tether, at fault; at sea &c. (uncertain) 475; caught tripping.

unknown, unapprehended, unexplained, unascertained, uninvestigated^†, unexplored, unheard of, not perceived; concealed &c. 528; novel.

Adv. ignorantly &c. adj.; unawares; for anything, for aught one knows; not that one knows.

Int. God knows, Heaven knows, the Lord knows, who knows, nobody knows.

Phr. "ignorance never settles a question" [Disraeli]; quantum animis erroris inest[Lat]! [Ovid]; "small Latin and less Greek" [B. Jonson]; "that unlettered small-knowing soul" [Love's Labor's Lost]; "there is no darkness but ignorance" [Twelfth NIght].

492. Scholar edit

N. scholar, connoisseur, savant, pundit, schoolman^†, professor, graduate, wrangler; academician, academist^†; master of arts, doctor, licentitate, gownsman; philosopher, master of math; scientist, clerk; sophist, sophister^†; linguist; glossolinguist, philologist; philologer^†; lexicographer, glossographer; grammarian; litterateur[Fr], literati, dilettanti, illuminati, cogniscenti[It]; fellow, Hebraist, lexicologist, mullah, munshi^†, Sanskritish; sinologist, sinologue^†; Mezzofanti^†, admirable Crichton, Mecaenas.

bookworm, helluo librorum[Lat]; bibliophile, bibliomaniac^†; bluestocking, bas-bleu[Fr]; bigwig, learned Theban, don; Artium Baccalaureus[Lat]^†, Artium Magister[Lat].

learned man, literary man; homo multarum literarum[Lat]; man of learning, man of letters, man of education, man of genius.

antiquarian, antiquary; archaeologist.

sage &c. (wise man) 500.

pedant, doctrinaire; pedagogue, Dr. Pangloss; pantologist^†, criminologist.

schoolboy &c. (learner) 541.

Adj. learned &c. 490; brought up at the feet of Gamaliel.

Phr. "he was a scholar and a ripe and good one" [Henry VIII]; "the manifold linguist" [All's Well That Ends Well].

493. Ignoramus edit

N. ignoramus, dunce; wooden spoon; no scholar.

[insulting terms for ignorant person: see also imbecility 499, folly 501] moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop, asshole [vulgar].

[person with superficial knowledge] dilettante, sciolist^†, smatterer, dabbler, half scholar; charlatan; wiseacre.

greenhorn, amateur &c (dupe) 547; novice, tyro &c (learner) 541; numskull.

lubber &c (bungler) 701; fool &c. 501; pedant &c 492. Adj. bookless^†, shallow; ignorant &c. 491.

Phr. "a wit with dunces and a dunce with wits" [Pope].

494. Truth edit

[Object of knowledge.]

N. fact, reality &c. (existence) 1; plain fact, plain matter of fact; nature &c. (principle) 5; truth, verity; gospel, gospel truth, God's honest truth; orthodoxy &c. 983a; authenticity; veracity &c. 543; correctness, correctitude^†.

accuracy, exactitude; exactness, preciseness &c. adj.; precision, delicacy; rigor, mathematical precision, punctuality; clockwork precision &c. (regularity) 80; conformity to rule; nicety.

orthology^†; ipsissima verba[Lat]; realism.

plain truth, honest truth, sober truth, naked truth, unalloyed truth, unqualified truth, stern truth, exact truth, intrinsic truth; nuda veritas[Lat]; the very thing; not an -illusion &c 495; real Simon Pure; unvarnished tale, unvarnished truth; the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth; just the thing.

V. be true &c. adj., be the case; sand the test; have the true ring; hold good, hold true, hold water.

render true, prove true &c. adj.; substantiate &c. (evidence) 467.

get at the truth &c. (discover) 480a.

Adj. real, actual &c. (existing) 1; veritable, true; right, correct; certain &c. 474; substantially true, categorically true, definitively true &c; true to the letter, true as gospel; unimpeachable; veracious &c. 543; unreconfuted^†, unconfuted^†; unideal^†, unimagined; realistic.

exact, accurate, definite, precise, well-defined, just, just so, so; strict, severe; close &c. (similar) 17; literal; rigid, rigorous; scrupulous &c. (conscientious) 939; religiously exact, punctual, mathematical, scientific; faithful, constant, unerring; curious, particular, nice, delicate, fine; clean-cut, clear-cut.

verified, empirically true, experimentally verified, substantiated, proven (demonstrated) 478.

rigorously true, unquestionably true.

true by definition.

genuine, authentic, legitimate; orthodox &c. 983a; official, ex officio.

pure, natural, sound, sterling; unsophisticated, unadulterated, unvarnished, unalloyed, uncolored; in its true colors; pukka^†.

well-grounded, well founded; solid, substantial, tangible, valid; undistorted, undisguised; unaffected, unexaggerated, unromantic, unflattering.

Adv. truly &c. adj.; verily, indeed, really, in reality; with truth &c. (veracity) 543; certainly &c. (certain) 474; actually &c. (existence) 1; in effect &c (intrinsically) 5.

exactly &c. adj.; ad amussim[Lat]; verbatim, verbatim et literatim [Lat]; word for word, literally, literatim[Lat], totidem vervis[Lat], sic, to the letter, chapter and verse, ipsissimis verbis[Lat]; ad unguem[Lat]; to an inch; to a nicety, to a hair, to a tittle, to a turn, to a T; au pied de la lettre [Fr]; neither more nor less; in every respect, in all respects; sous tous les rapports[Fr]; at any rate, at all events; strictly speaking.

Phr. the truth is, the fact is; rem acu tetigisti^†[Lat]; en suivant la verite [Fr]; ex facto jus oritur [Lat]; la verita e figlia del empo [It]; locos y ninos dicen la verdad [Spanish: crazy people and children tell the truth]; nihil est veritatis luce dulcius [Lat][Cicero]; veritas nunquam perit [Lat][Seneca]; veritatem dies aperit [Lat][Seneca]; " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth "; " just the facts, ma'am, just the facts." [Dragnet].

495. Error edit

N. error, fallacy; misconception, misapprehension, misstanding^†, misunderstanding; inexactness &c. adj.; laxity; misconstruction &c. (misinterpretation) 523; miscomputation &c. (misjudgment) 481; non sequitur &c. 477; mis-statement, mis-report; mumpsimus^†.

mistake; miss, fault, blunder, quiproquo, cross purposes, oversight, misprint, erratum, corrigendum, slip, blot, flaw, loose thread; trip, stumble &c. (failure) 732; botchery &c. (want of skill) 699^†; slip of the tongue, slip of the lip, Freudian slip; slip of the pen; lapsus linguae[Lat], clerical error; bull &c. (absurdity) 497; haplography^†.

illusion, delusion; snare; false impression, false idea; bubble; self- decit, self-deception; mists of error.

heresy &c. (heterodoxy) 984; hallucination &c. (insanity) 503; false light &c. (fallacy of vision) 443; dream &c. (fancy) 515; fable &c. (untruth) 546; bias &c. (misjudgment) 481; misleading &c. v.

V. be erroneous &c. adj.

cause error; mislead, misguide; lead astray, lead into error; beguile, misinform &c. (misteach) 538^†; delude; give a false impression, give a false idea; falsify, misstate; deceive &c. 545; lie &c. 544.

err; be -in error &c. adj., be mistaken &c. v.; be deceived &c. (duped) 547; mistake, receive a false impression, deceive oneself; fall into error, lie under error, labor under an error &c. n.; be in the wrong, blunder; misapprehend, misconceive, misunderstand, misreckon, miscount, miscalculate &c. (misjudge) 481.

play at cross purposes , be at cross purposes &c. (misinterpret) 523.

trip, stumble; lose oneself &c. (uncertainty) 475; go astray; fail &c. 732; be in the wrong box; take the wrong sow by the ear &c. (mismanage) 699; put the saddle on the wrong horse; reckon without one's host; take the shadow for the substance &c (credulity) 486; dream &c (imagine) 515.

Adj. erroneous, untrue, false, devoid of truth, fallacious, apocryphal, unreal, ungrounded, groundless; unsubstantial &c. 4; heretical &c. (heterodox) 984; unsound; illogical &c. 477.

inexact, unexact inaccurate^†, incorrect; indefinite &c. (uncertain) 475.

illusive, illusory; delusive; mock, ideal &c (imaginary) 515; spurious &c. 545; deceitful &c. 544; perverted.

controvertible, unsustainable; unauthenticated, untrustworthy.

exploded, refuted; discarded.

in error, under an error &c. n.; mistaken &c. v.; tripping &c. v.; out, out in one's reckoning; aberrant; beside the mark, wide of the mark, wide of the truth, way off, far off; astray &c (at fault) 475; on a false scent, on the wrong scent; in the wrong box, outside the ballpark; at cross purposes, all in the wrong; all out.

Adv. more or less.

Phr. errare est humanum[Lat]; mentis gratissimus error [Lat][Horace]; "on the dubious waves of error tost" [Cowper]; "to err is human, to forgive divine" [Pope]; "you lie -- under a mistake" [Shelley].

496. Maxim edit

N. maxim, aphorism; apothegm, apophthegm^†; dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb; sentence, mot[Fr], motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis^†.

axiom, theorem, scholium^†, truism, postulate.

first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition) 514.

reflection &c (idea) 453; conclusion &c (judgment) 480; golden rule &c. (precept) 697; principle, principia[Lat]; profession of faith &c. (belief) 484; settled principle, accepted principle, formula.

accepted fact.

received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim &c; true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying &c.

Adj. aphoristic, proverbial, phylacteric^†; axiomatic, gnomic.

Adv. as the saying goes, as the saying is, as they say.

497. Absurdity edit

N. absurdity, absurdness &c. adj.; imbecility &c. 499; alogy|, nonsense, utter nonsense; paradox, inconsistency; stultiloquy^†, stultiloquence^†; nugacity^†.

blunder, muddle, bull; Irishism|!, Hibernicism|!; slipslop^†; anticlimax, bathos; sophism &c. 477.

farce, galimathias^†, amphigouri^†, rhapsody; farrago &c (disorder) 59; betise[Fr]; extravagance, romance; sciamachy^†.

sell, pun, verbal quibble, macaronic^†.

jargon, fustian, twaddle, gibberish &c (no meaning) 517; exaggeration &c 549; moonshine, stuff; mare's nest, quibble, self-delusion.

vagary, tomfoolery, poppycock, mummery, monkey trick, boutade[Fr], escapade.

V. play the fool &c. 499; talk nonsense, parler a tort et a travess[Fr]; battre la campagne[Fr]^†; <gr hanemolia="" bazein="" gr="">; be - absurd &c. adj.

Adj. absurd, nonsensical, preposterous, egregious, senseless, inconsistent, ridiculous, extravagant, quibbling; self-annulling, self- contradictory; macaronic^†, punning.

foolish &c. 499; sophistical &c. 477; unmeaning &c. 517; without rhyme or reason; fantastic.

Int. fiddlededee! pish! pho^†! "in the name of the Prophet--figs!" [Horace Smith].

Phr. credat Judaeus Apella [Lat][Horace]; tell it to the marines. </gr>

498. Intelligence edit

Intelligence. Wisdom.

N. intelligence, capacity, comprehension, understanding; cuteness, sabe * ^†[U.S.], savvy * [U.S.]; intellect &c. 450; nous[Fr], parts, sagacity, mother wit, wit, esprit, gumption, quick parts, grasp of intellect; acuteness &c adj.; acumen, subtlety, penetration, perspicacy^†, perspicacity; discernment, due sense of, good judgment; discrimination &c 465; cunning &c. 702; refinement &c (taste) 850.

head, brains, headpiece, upper story, long head; eagle eye, eagle- glance; eye of a lynx, eye of a hawk.

wisdom, sapience, sense; good sense, common sense, horse sense [U.S.], plain sense; rationality, reason; reasonableness &c. adj; judgment; solidity, depth, profundity, caliber; enlarged views; reach of thought, compass of thought; enlargement of mind.

genius, inspiration, geist[Ger], fire of genius, heaven-born genius, soul; talent &c. (aptitude) 698.

[Wisdom in action] prudence &c. 864; vigilance &c. 459; tact &c 698; foresight &c 510; sobriety, self-possession, aplomb, ballast.

a bright thought, not a bad idea.

Solomon-like wisdom.

V. be -intelligent &c. adj.; have all one's wits about one; understand &c. (intelligible) 518; catch an idea, take in an idea; take a joke, take a hint.

see through, see at a glance, see with half an eye, see far into, see through a millstone; penetrate; discern &c (descry) 441; foresee &c 510.

discriminate &c. 465; know what's what &c. 698; listen to reason.

Adj. intelligent[Applied to persons], quick of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick, sharp; quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp- eyed, sharp sighted, sharp witted; wide-awake; canny, shrewd, astute; clear-headed; farsighted &c 510; discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing; argute^†; quick-witted, nimble- witted, needle-witted; sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack; alive to &c (cognizant) 490; clever &c. (apt) 698; arch &c (cunning) 702; pas si bete[Fr]; acute &c 682.

wise, sage, sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind, sensible, abnormis sapiens[Lat], judicious, strong-minded.

unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted^†, unprepossessed^†; undazzled^†, unperplexed^†; unwarped judgment^†, impartial, equitable, fair.

cool; cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded, strong-headed; long- sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting; solid, deep, profound.

oracular; heaven-directed, heaven-born.

prudent &c (cautious) 864; sober, stand, solid; considerate, politic, wise in one's generation; watchful &c. 459; provident &c (prepared) 673; in advance of one' age; wise as a serpent, wise as Solomon, wise as Solon.

[Applied to actions] wise, sensible, reasonable, judicious; well- thought-out, well-planned, well-judged, well-advised; prudent, politic; expedient &c. 646.

Phr. aut regem aut fatuum nasci oportet[Lat]; "but with the morning cool reflection came" [Scott]; flosculi sententiarum[Lat]; les affaires font les hommes[Fr]; mas vale saber que haber[Sp]; mas vale ser necio que profiadol nemo solus sapit [Lat][Plautus]; nosce te[Lat]; <gr gnothi="" seauton="" gr="">[Grk]; nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit [Lat][Seneca, from Aristotle]; sapere aude [Lat][Horace]; victrix fortunae sapientia [Lat][Juvenal]. </gr>

499. Imbecility edit

Imbecility. Folly

N. want of -intelligence &c. 498, want of - intellect &c. 450; shadowness^†, silliness, foolishness &c. adj.; imbecility, incapacity, vacancy of mind, poverty of intellect, weakness of intellect, clouded perception, poor head, apartments to let; stupidity, stolidity; hebetude^†, dull understanding, meanest capacity, shortsightedness; incompetence &c (unskillfulness) 699.

one's weak side, not one's strong point; bias &c 481; infatuation &c. (insanity) 503.

simplicity, puerility, babyhood; dotage, anility^†, second childishness, fatuity; idiocy, idiotism^†; driveling.

folly, frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity^†, inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit; sophistry &c. 477; giddiness &c (inattention) 458; eccentricity &c. 503; extravagance &c (absurdity) 497; rashness &c. 863.

act of folly &c. 699.

b. be - imbecile &c adj.; have no -brains, have no sense &c. 498.

trifle, drivel, radoter^†, dote; ramble &c (madness) 503; play the fool, play the monkey, monkey around, fool around; take leave of one's senses (insanity) 503; not see an inch beyond one's nose; stultify oneself &c. 699; talk nonsense &c. 497.

Adj. unintelligent[Applied to persons], unintellectual, unreasoning; mindless, witless, reasoningless^†, brainless; halfbaked; having no head &c. 498; not -bright &c. 498; inapprehensible^†.

weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed^†, chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded^†; beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed.

weak-minded, feeble-minded; dull minded, shallow minded, lack-brained; rattle-brained, rattle headed; half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated^†, clod-pated^†, addle- pated^†; dim-sighted, short-sighted; thick-skulled; weak in the upper story.

shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony; dull, dull as a beetle; stupid, heavy, insulse^†, obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish; asinine; inapt &c. 699; prosaic &c. 843; hebetudinous^†.

childish, child-like; infantine^†, infantile, babyish, babish^†; puerile, anile; simple &c. (credulous) 486; old-womanish.

fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling; blatant, babbling; vacant; sottish; bewildered &c.475.

blockish^†, unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic; bovine; ungifted, undiscerning^†, unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical^†; apish; simious^†.

foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept; maudlin.

narrow-minded &c. 481; bigoted &c. (obstinate) 606; giddy &c. (thoughtless) 458; rash &c. 863; eccentric &c. (crazed) 503.

[Applied to actions] foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine; ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised; mal entendu[Fr]; inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical^†; extravagant &c (nonsensical) 497; sleeveless, idle; pointless, useless &c. 645; inexpedient &c. 647; frivolous &c. (trivial) 643.

Phr. Davus sum non [Lat][Oedipus]; "a fool's bolt is soon shot" clitellae bovi sunt impositae ^†[Henry V.][Lat][Cicero]; "fools rush in where angels fear to tread" [Pope]; il n' a ni bouche ni eperon [Fr]; "the bookful blockhead, ignorantly read" [Pope]; "to varnish nonsense with the charms of sound" [Churchill].

500. Sage edit

N. sage, wise man; genius; master mind, master spirit of the age; longhead^†, thinker; intellectual, longhair.

authority, oracle, luminary, shining light, esprit fort, magnus Apollo[Lat]^†, Solon, Solomon, Nestor, Magi, "second Daniel."

man of learning &c. 492; expert &c. 700; wizard &c. 994.

[Ironically] wiseacre, bigwig, know-it-all; poor man's Einstein.

Adj. venerable, reverenced, emeritus.

Phr. barba tenus sapientes[Lat].

501. Fool edit

N. fool, idiot, tomfool, wiseacre, simpleton, witling^†, dizzard^†, donkey, ass; ninny, ninnyhammer^†; chowderhead^†, chucklehead^†; dolt, booby, Tom Noddy, looby^†, hoddy-doddy^†, noddy, nonny, noodle, nizy^†, owl; goose, goosecap^†; imbecile; gaby^†; radoteur^†, nincompoop, badaud^†, zany; trifler, babbler; pretty fellow; natural, niais^†.

child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop.

oaf, lout, loon, lown^†, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps^†, tony.

bull head, dunderhead, addlehead^†, blockhead, dullhead^†, loggerhead, jolthead^†, jolterhead^†, beetlehead^†, beetlebrain, grosshead^†, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead^†; numbskull, thickskull^†; lackbrain^†, shallowbrain^†; dimwit, halfwit, lackwit^†; dunderpate^†; lunkhead

sawney^†[U.S.], gowk^†; clod, clod-hopper; clod-poll, clot- poll, clot-pate; bull calf; gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube [U.S.]; men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham.

un sot a triple etage[Fr], sot; jobbernowl^†, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche^†.

dotard, driveler; old fogey, old woman, crock; crone, grandmother; cotquean^†, henhussy^†.

incompetent (insanity) 503.

greenhorn &c (dupe) 547; dunce &c (ignoramus) 493; lubber &c (bungler) 701; madman &c 504.

one who will not set the Thames on fire; one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre [Fr]; no conjuror.

Phr. fortuna favet fatuis[Lat]; les fous font les festinas et les sages les mangent [Fr]; nomina stultorum parietibus harrent [Lat]; stultorum plena sunt omnia [Lat][Cicero].

502. Sanity edit

N. sanity; soundness &c. adj.; rationality, sobriety, lucidity, lucid interval; senses, sober senses, right mind, sound mind, mens sana[Lat].

V. be sane &c. adj.; retain one's senses, retain one's reason.

become sane &c. adj.; come to one's senses, sober down.

render sane &c. adj; bring to one's senses, sober.

Adj. sane, rational, reasonable, compos mentis, of sound mind; sound, sound-minded; lucid.

self-possessed; sober, sober-minded.

in one's sober senses, in one's right mind; in possession of one's faculties.

Adv. sanely &c.adj.

503. Insanity edit

N. disordered reason, disordered intellect; diseased mind, unsound mind, abnormal mind; derangement, unsoundness; psychosis; neurosis; cognitive disorder; affective disorder^†.

insanity, lunacy; madness &c. adj.; mania, rabies, furor, mental alienation, aberration; paranoia, schizophrenia; dementation^†, dementia, demency^†; phrenitis^†, phrensy^†, frenzy, raving, incoherence, wandering, delirium, calenture of the brain^†; delusion, hallucination; lycanthropy^†; brain storm|!.

vertigo, dizziness, swimming; sunstroke, coup de soleil[Fr], siriasis^†.

fanaticism, infatuation, craze; oddity, eccentricity, twist, monomania (caprice) 608; kleptodipsomania^†; hypochondriasis &c. (low spirits) 837[Med]; melancholia, depression, clinical depression, severe depression; hysteria; amentia^†.

screw loose, tile loose, slate loose; bee in one's bonnet, rats in the upper story.

dotage &c. (imbecility) 499.

V. be insane &c. adj.

become insane &c. adj; lose one's senses, lose one's reason, lose one's faculties, lose one's wits; go mad, run mad, lose one's marbles [coll.], go crazy, go bonkers [coll.], flip one's wig [coll.], flip one's lid[coll.], flip out[coll.], flip one's bush [coll.].

rave, dote, ramble, wander; drivel &c. (be imbecile) 499; have a screw loose &c. n., have a devil; avoir le diable au corps[Fr]; lose one;s head &c. (be uncertain) 475.

render mad, drive mad &c adj.; madden, dementate^†, addle the wits, addle the brain, derange the head, infatuate, befool^†; turn the brain, turn one's head; drive one nuts [coll.].

Adj. insane, mad, lunatic ,loony[coll.]; crazy, crazed, aliene^†, non compos mentis; not right, cracked, touched; bereft of reason; all possessed, unhinged, unsettled in one's mind; insensate, reasonless, beside oneself, demented, daft; phrenzied^†, frenzied, frenetic; possessed, possessed with a devil; deranged, maddened, moonstruck; shatterpated^†; mad-brained, scatter brained, shatter brained, crackbrained; touched, tetched [dialect]; off one's head.

[behavior suggesting insanity] maniacal; delirious, lightheaded, incoherent, rambling, doting, wandering; frantic, raving, stark staring mad, stark raving mad, wild-eyed, berserk; delusional, hallucinatory.

[behavior somewhat resembling insanity] corybantic^†, dithyrambic; rabid, giddy, vertiginous, wild; haggard, mazed; flighty; distracted, distraught; depressed; agitated, hyped up; bewildered &c. (uncertain) 475.

mad as a March hare, mad as a hatter; of unsound mind &c. n.; touched in one's head, wrong in one's head, not right in one's head, not in one's right mind, not right in one's wits, upper story; out of one's mind, out of one's wits, out of one's skull [coll.], far gone, out of one's senses, out of one's wits; not in one's right mind.

fanatical, infatuated, odd, eccentric; hypped^†, hyppish^†; spaced out [coll.].

imbecile, silly, &c. 499.

Adv. like one possessed.

Phr. the mind having lost its balance; the reason under a cloud; tet exaltee[French], tet montee[French]; ira furor brevis est[Latin]; omnes stultos insanire [Latin][Horace].

504. Madman edit

N. madman, lunatic, maniac, bedlamite^†, candidate for Bedlam, raver^†, madcap, crazy; energumen^†; automaniac^†, monomaniac, dipsomaniac, kleptomaniac; hypochondriac &c. (low spirits); crank, Tom o'Bedlam.

dreamer &c. 515; rhapsodist, seer, highflier^†, enthusiast, fanatic, fanatico[Sp]; exalte[French]; knight errant, Don Quixote.

idiot &c. 501.

Section VI. Extension of Thought edit

To the Past edit

505. Memory edit

N. memory, remembrance; retention, retentiveness; tenacity; veteris vestigia flammae[Lat]; tablets of the memory; readiness.

reminiscence, recognition, recollection, rememoration^†; recurrence, flashback; retrospect, retrospection.

afterthought, post script, PS.

suggestion &c. (information) 527; prompting &c. v.; hint, reminder; remembrancer^†, flapper; memorial &c. (record) 551; commemoration &c. (celebration) 883.

[written reminder] note, memo, memorandum;

things to be remembered, token of remembrance, memento, souvenir, keepsake, relic, memorabilia.

art of memory, artificial memory; memoria technica[Lat]; mnemonics, mnemotechnics^†; phrenotypics^†; Mnemosyne.

prompt-book; crib sheet, cheat sheet.

retentive memory, tenacious memory, photographic memory, green memory|!, trustworthy memory, capacious memory, faithful memory, correct memory, exact memory, ready memory, prompt memory, accurate recollection; perfect memory, total recall.

celebrity, fame, renown, reputation &c. (repute) 873.

V. remember, mind; retain the memory of, retain the remembrance of; keep in view.

recognize, recollect, bethink oneself, recall, call up, retrace; look back, trace back, trace backwards; think back, look back upon; review; call upon, recall upon, bring to mind, bring to remembrance; carry one's thoughts back; rake up the past.

have in the thoughts, hold in the thoughts, bear in the thoughts, carry in the thoughts, keep in the thoughts, retain in the thoughts, have in the memory, hold in the memory, bear in the memory, carry in the memory, keep in the memory, retain in the memory, have in the mind, hold in the mind, bear in the mind, carry in the mind, keep in the mind, retain in the mind, hold in remembrance; be in one's thoughts, live in one's thoughts, remain in one's thoughts, dwell in one's thoughts, haunt one's thoughts, impress one's thoughts, be in one's mind, live in one's mind, remain in one's mind, dwell in one's mind, haunt one's mind, impress one's mind, dwell in one's memory.

sink in the mind; run in the head; not be able to get out of one's head; be deeply impressed with; rankle &c. (revenge) 919.

recur to the mind; flash on the mind, flash across the memory.

[cause to remember] remind; suggest &c. (inform ) 527; prompt; put in mind, keep in mind, bring to mind; fan the embers; call up, summon up, rip up; renew; infandum renovare dolorem [Lat]; jog the memory, flap the memory, refresh the memory, rub up the memory, awaken the memory; pull by the sleeve; bring back to the memory, put in remembrance, memorialize.

task the memory, tax the memory.

get at one's fingers' ends, have at one's fingers', learn at one's fingers', know one's lesson, say one's lesson, repeat by heart, repeat by rote; say one's lesson; repeat, repeat as a parrot; have at one's fingers' ends.

[transitive] commit to memory, memorize; con over, con; fix in the memory, rivet in the memory, imprint in the memory, impress in the memory, stamp in the memory, grave in the memory, engrave in the memory, store in the memory, treasure up in the memory, bottle up in the memory, embalm in the memory, enshrine in the memory; load the memory with, store the memory with, stuff the memory with, burden the memory with.

redeem from oblivion; keep the memory alive, keep the wound green, pour salt in the wound, reopen old wounds'; tangere ulcus^†[Lat]; keep up the memory of; commemorate &c. (celebrate) 883.

make a note of, jot a note, pen a memorandum &c. (record) 551.

Adj. remembering, remembered &c. v.; mindful, reminiscential^†; retained in the memory &c. v.; pent up in one's memory; fresh; green, green in remembrance; unforgotten, present to the mind; within one's memory &c. n.; indelible; uppermost in one's thoughts; memorable &c. (important) 642.

Adv. by heart, by rote; without book, memoriter^†.

in memory of; in memoriam; memoria in aeterna[Lat]; suggestive.

Phr. manet alta mente repostum [Lat][Vergil]; forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit [Lat][Vergil]; absens haeres non erit [Lat]; beatae memoriae [Lat]; "briefly thyself remember" [Lear]; mendacem memorem esse oportet [Lat][Quintilian]; "memory the warder of the brain" [Macbeth]; parsque est meminisse doloris [Lat][Ovid]; "to live in hearts we leave behind is not to die" [Campbell]; vox audita peril littera scripta manet [Lat]; out of sight, out of mind.

506. Oblivion edit

N. oblivion, obliviousness, lethe; forgetfulness &c. adj.; amnesia; obliteration &c. 552 of , insensibility &c. 823 to the past.

short memory, treacherous memory, poor memory, loose memory, slippery memory, failing memory; decay of memory, failure of memory, lapse of memory; waters of Lethe, waters of oblivion.

amnesty, general pardon.

[deliberate or unconscious forgetting] repressed memory.

V. forget; be forgetful &c. adj.; fall into oblivion, sink into oblivion; have a short memory &c. n., have no head.

forget one's own name, have on the tip of one's tongue, come in one ear and go out the other.

slip memory, escape memory, fade from memory, die away from the memory; lose, lose sight of.

fail to recall, not be able to recall.

[cause oneself to forget: transitive] unlearn; efface &c. 552 , discharge from the memory; consign to oblivion, consign to the tomb of the Capulets; think no more of &c. (turn the attention from) 458; cast behind one's back, wean one's thoughts from; let bygones be bygones &c.(forgive) 918.

Adj. forgotten &c. v.; unremembered, past recollection, bygone, out of mind; buried in oblivion, sunk in oblivion; clean forgotten; gone out of one's head, gone out of one's recollection.

forgetful, oblivious, mindless, Lethean; insensible &c. 823 to the past; heedless.

Phr. non mi ricordo[It]; the memory failing, the memory deserting one, being at (or in) fault.

To The Future edit

507. Expectation edit

N. expectation, expectance, expectancy; anticipation, reckoning, calculation; foresight &c. 510.

contemplation, prospection^†, lookout; prospect, perspective, horizon, vista; destiny &c. 152.

suspense, waiting, abeyance; curiosity &c. 455; anxious expectation, ardent expectation, eager expectation, breathless expectation, sanguine expectation; torment of Tantalus.

hope &c. 858; trust &c. (belief) 484; auspices &c. (prediction) 511; assurance, confidence, presumption, reliance.

V. expect; look for, look out for, look forward to; hope for; anticipate; have in prospect, have in contemplation; keep in view; contemplate, promise oneself; not wonder &c. 870 at, not wonder if.

wait for, tarry for, lie in wait for, watch for, bargain for; keep a good lookout for, keep a sharp lookout for; await; stand at "attention," abide, bide one's time, watch.

foresee &c. 510; prepare for &c. 673; forestall &c. (be early) 132; count upon &c. (believe in) 484; think likely &c. (probability) 472.

lead one to expect &c. (predict) 511; have in store for &c. (destiny) 152.

prick up one's ears, hold one's breath.

Adj. expectant; expecting &c. v.; in expectation &c. n.; on the watch &c. (vigilant) 459; open-eyed, open-mouthed, in wide-eyed anticipation; agape, gaping, all agog; on tenterhooks, on tiptoe, on the tiptoe of expectation; aux aguets^†; ready; curious &c. 455; looking forward to.

expected &c. v.; long expected, foreseen; in prospect &c. n.; prospective; in one's eye, in one's view, in the horizon, on the horizon, just over the horizon, just around the corner, around the corner; impending &c. (destiny) 152.

Adv. on the watch &c. adj.; with breathless expectation &c. n.; with bated breath, with rapt anticipation; arrectis auribus[Lat].

Phr. we shall see; nous verrons[Fr]; "expectation whirls me round" [Troilus and Cressida]; the light at the end of the tunnel.

508. Inexpectation edit

N. inexpectation^†, non-expectation; false expectation &c. (disappointment) 509; miscalculation &c. 481.

surprise, sudden burst, thunderclap, blow, shock, start; bolt out of the blue; wonder &c. 870; eye opener.

unpleasant surprise, pleasant surprise.

V. not expect &c. 507; be taken by surprise; start; miscalculate &c. 481; not bargain for; come upon, fall upon.

be unexpected &c. adj.; come unawares &c. adv.; turn up, pop, drop from the clouds; come upon one, burst upon one, flash upon one, bounce upon one, steal upon one, creep upon one; come like a thunder clap, burst like a thunderclap, thunder bolt; take by surprise, catch by surprise, catch unawares, catch napping; yach ^†[S. Africa].

pounce upon, spring a mine upon.

surprise, startle, take aback, electrify, stun, stagger, take away one's breath, throw off one's guard; astonish, dumbfound &c. (strike with wonder) 870.

Adj. nonexpectant^†; surprised &c. v.; unwarned, unaware; off one's guard; inattentive 458.

unexpected, unanticipated, unpredicted^†, unlooked for, unforeseen, unhoped for; dropped from the clouds; beyond expectation, contrary to expectation, against expectation, against all expectation; out of one's reckoning; unheard of &c. (exceptional) 83; startling, surprising; sudden &c. (instantaneous) 113.

unpredictable, unforeseeable (unknowable) 519.

Adv. abruptly, unexpectedly, surprisingly; plump, pop, a l'improviste[Fr], unawares; without notice, without warning, without a "by your leave"; like a thief in the night, like a thunderbolt; in an unguarded moment; suddenly &c. (instantaneously) 113.

Int. heydey^†! &c. (wonder) 870.

Phr. little did one think, little did one expect; nobody would ever suppose, nobody would ever think, nobody would ever expect; who would have thought? it beats the Dutch|!.

509. Disappointment edit

[Failure of expectation.]

N. disappointment; blighted hope, balk; blow; anticlimax; slip 'twixt cup and lip; nonfulfillment of one's hopes; sad disappointment, bitter disappointment; trick of fortune; afterclap; false expectation, vain expectation; miscalculation &c. 481; fool's paradise; much cry and little wool.

V. be disappointed; look blank, look blue; look aghast, stand aghast &c. (wonder) 870; find to one's cost; laugh on the wrong side of one's mouth; find one a false prophet.

not realize one's hope, not realize one's expectation.

[cause to be disappointed] disappoint; frustrate, discomfit, crush, defeat (failure) 732; crush one's hope, dash one's hope, balk one's hope, disappoint one's hope, blight one's hope, falsify one's hope, defeat one's hope, discourage; balk, jilt, bilk; play one false, play a trick; dash the cup from the lips, tantalize; dumfound, dumbfound, dumbfounder, dumfounder (astonish) 870.

Adj. disappointed &c. v.; disconcerted, aghast; disgruntled; out of one's reckoning.

Phr. the mountain labored and brought forth a mouse; parturiunt montes[Lat]; nascitur ridiculus mus [Lat][Horace]; diis aliter visum[Lat]^†, the bubble burst; one's countenance falling.

510. Foresight edit

N. foresight, prospicience^†, prevision, long- sightedness; anticipation; providence &c. (preparation) 673.

forethought, forecast; predeliberation^†, presurmise^†; foregone conclusion &c. (prejudgment) 481; prudence &c. (caution) 864.

foreknowledge; prognosis; precognition, prescience, prenotion^†, presentiment; second sight; sagacity &c. (intelligence) 498; antepast^†, prelibation^†, prophasis^†.

prospect &c. (expectation) 507; foretaste; prospectus &c. (plan) 626.

V. foresee; look forwards to, look ahead, look beyond; scent from afar; look into the future, pry into the future, peer into the future.

see one's way; see how the land lies, get the lay of the land, see how the wind blows, test the waters, see how the cat jumps.

anticipate; expect &c. 507; be beforehand &c. (early) 132; predict &c. 511; foreknow, forejudge, forecast; presurmise^†; have an eye to the future, have an eye to the main chance; respicere finem[Lat]; keep a sharp lookout &c. (vigilance) 459; forewarn &c. 668.

Adj. foreseeing &c. v.; prescient; farseeing, farsighted; sagacious &c. (intelligent) 498; weatherwise^†; provident &c. (prepared) 673; prospective &c. 507.

Adv. against the time when.

Phr. cernit omnia Deus vindex[Lat]; mihi cura futuri[Lat]; run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.

511. Prediction edit

N. prediction, announcement; program, programme &c. (plan) 626[Brit]; premonition &c. (warning) 668; prognosis, prophecy, vaticination, mantology^†, prognostication, premonstration|; augury, auguration|; ariolation|, hariolation|; foreboding, aboding^†; bodement^†, abodement^†; omniation|, omniousness^†; auspices, forecast; omen &c. 512; horoscope, nativity; sooth^†, soothsaying; fortune telling, crystal gazing; divination; necromancy &c. 992.

[Divination by the stars] astrology^†, horoscopy^†, judicial astrology1^†.

^† adytum[Place of prediction].

prefiguration^†, prefigurement; prototype, type.

[person who predicts] oracle &c. 513.

V. predict, prognosticate, prophesy, vaticinate, divine, foretell, soothsay, augurate^†, tell fortunes; cast a horoscope, cast a nativity; advise; forewarn &c. 668.

presage, augur, bode; abode, forebode; foretoken, betoken; prefigure, preshow^†; portend; foreshow^†, foreshadow; shadow forth, typify, pretypify^†, ominate^†, signify, point to.

usher in, herald, premise, announce; lower.

hold out expectation, raise expectation, excite expectation, excite hope; bid fair, promise, lead one to expect; be the precursor &c 64.

[predict by mathematical or statistical means from past experience] extrapolate, project.

Adj. predicting &cv.; predictive, prophetic; fatidic^†, fatidical^†; vaticinal, oracular, fatiloquent^†, haruspical, Sibylline; weatherwise^†.

ominous, portentous, augurous^†, augurial, augural; auspicial^†, auspicious; prescious^†, monitory, extispicious^†, premonitory, significant of, pregnant with, bit with the fate of.

Phr. "coming events cast their shadows before" [Campbell]; dicamus bona verba[Lat]; "there buds the promise of celestial worth" [Young].

[1] The following terms, expressive of different forms of divination, have been collected from various sources, and are here given as a curious illustration of bygone superstitions:-

Divination by oracles, Theomancy^†; by the Bible, Bibliomancy; by ghosts, Psychomancy^†; by crystal gazing, Crystallomancy^†; by shadows or manes, Sciomancy; by appearances in the air, Aeromancy^†, Chaomancy^†; by the stars at birth, Genethliacs; by meteors, Meteoromancy^†; by winds, Austromancy^†; by sacrificial appearances, Aruspicy (or Haruspicy)^†, Hieromancy^†, Hieroscopy^†; by the entrails of animals sacrificed, Extispicy^†, Hieromancy^†; by the entrails of a human sacrifice, Anthropomancy^†; by the entrails of fishes, Ichthyomancy^†; by sacrificial fire, Pyromancy^†; by red-hot iron, Sideromancy^†; by smoke from the altar, Capnomancy^†; by mice, Myomancy^†; by birds, Orniscopy^†, Ornithomancy^†; by a cock picking up grains, Alectryomancy (or Alectromancy)^†; by fishes, Ophiomancy^†; by herbs, Botanomancy^†; by water, Hydromancy^†; by fountains, Pegomancy^†; by a wand, Rhabdomancy; by dough of cakes, Crithomancy^†; by meal, Aleuromancy^†, Alphitomancy^†; by salt, Halomancy^†; by dice, Cleromancy^†; by arrows, Belomancy^†; by a balanced hatchet, Axinomancy^†; by a balanced sieve, Coscinomancy^†; by a suspended ring, Dactyliomancy^†; by dots made at random on paper, Geomancy^†; by precious stones, Lithomancy^†; by pebbles, Pessomancy^†; by pebbles drawn from a heap, Psephomancy^†; by mirrors, Catoptromancy^†; by writings in ashes, Tephramancy^†; by dreams, Oneiromancy^†; by the hand, Palmistry, Chiromancy; by nails reflecting the sun's rays, Onychomancy^†; by finger rings, Dactylomancy^†; by numbers, Arithmancy^†; by drawing lots, Sortilege^†; by passages in books, Stichomancy^†; by the letters forming the name of the person, Onomancy^†, Nomancy; by the features, Anthroposcopy^†; by the mode of laughing, Geloscopy^†; by ventriloquism, Gastromancy^†; by walking in a circle, Gyromancy^†; by dropping melted wax into water, Ceromancy^†; by currents, Bletonism; by the color and peculiarities of wine, Oenomancy^†.

512. Omen edit

N. omen, portent, presage, prognostic, augury, auspice; sign &c. (indication) 550; harbinger &c. (precursor) 64; yule candle|!.

bird of ill omen; signs of the times; gathering clouds; warning &c. 668.

prefigurement &c. 511.

Adj. ill-boding.

Phr. auspicium melioris aevi[Lat]^†.

513. Oracle edit

N. oracle; prophet, prophesier, seer, soothsayer, augur, fortune teller, crystal gazer^†, witch, geomancer^†, aruspex^†; aruspice^†, haruspice^†; haruspex; astrologer, star gazer^†; Sibyl; Python, Pythoness^†; Pythia; Pythian oracle, Delphian oracle; Monitor, Sphinx, Tiresias, Cassandra^†, Sibylline leaves; Zadkiel, Old Moore; sorcerer &c. 994; interpreter &c. 524.

[person who predicts by non-mystical (natural) means] predictor, prognosticator, forecaster; weather forecaster, weatherman.

Phr. a prophet is without honor in his own country; "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" [Bob Dylan].

Section VII. Creative Thought edit

514. Supposition edit

N. supposition, assumption, assumed position, postulation, condition, presupposition, hypothesis, blue sky hypothesis, postulate, postulatum[Lat], theory; thesis, theorem; data; proposition, position; proposal &c. (plan) 626; presumption &c. (belief) 484; divination.

conjecture; guess, guesswork, speculation; rough guess, shot, shot in the dark [coll.]; conjecturality^†; surmise, suspicion, sneaking suspicion; estimate, approximation (nearness) 197.

inkling, suggestion, hint, intimation, notion, impression; bare supposition, vague supposition, loose supposition, loose suggestion.

association of ideas, (analogy) 514a; metonym[Gram], metonymy[Gram], simile (metaphor) 521.

conceit, idea, thought; original idea, invention (imagination) 515.

V. suppose, conjecture, surmise, suspect, guess, divine; theorize; presume, presurmise^†, presuppose; assume, fancy, wis^†, take it; give a guess, speculate, believe, dare say, take it into one's head, take for granted; imagine &c. 515.

put forth; propound, propose; start, put a case, submit, move, make a motion; hazard out, throw out a suggestion, put forward a suggestion, put forward conjecture.

allude to, suggest, hint, put it into one's head.

suggest itself &c. (thought) 451; run in the head &c. (memory) 505; marvel if, wonder if, wonder whether.

Adj. supposing &c. v.; given, mooted, postulatory^†; assumed &c. v.; supposititious, suppositive^†, suppositious; gratuitous, speculative, conjectural, hypothetical, theoretical, academic, supposable, presumptive, putative; suppositional.

suggestive, allusive.

Adv. if, if so be; an; on the supposition &c. n.;ex hypothesi[Lat]; in the case, in the event of; quasi, as if, provided; perhaps &c. (by possibility) 470; for aught one knows.

514a. Analogy edit

N. analogy, association, association of ideas.

metaphor &c. 521.

analogical thinking; free association; train of thought, .

Adj. analogical.

515. Imagination edit

N. imagination; originality; invention; fancy; inspiration; verve.

warm imagination, heated imagination, excited imagination, sanguine imagination, ardent imagination, fiery imagination, boiling imagination, wild imagination, bold imagination, daring imagination, playful imagination, lively imagination, fertile imagination, fancy.

"mind's eye"; "such stuff as dreams are made of" [Tempest].

ideality, idealism; romanticism, utopianism, castle-building.

dreaming; phrensy^†, frenzy; ecstasy, extasy^†; calenture &c. (delirium) 503^†; reverie, trance; day dream, golden dream; somnambulism.

conception, Vorstellung[Ger], excogitation^†, "a fine frenzy"; cloudland^†, dreamland; flight of fancy, fumes of fancy; "thick coming fancies" [Macbeth]; creation of the brain, coinage of the brain; imagery.

conceit, maggot, figment, myth, dream, vision, shadow, chimera; phantasm, phantasy; fantasy, fancy; whim, whimsey^†, whimsy; vagary, rhapsody, romance, gest^†, geste^†, extravaganza; air drawn dagger, bugbear, nightmare.

flying Dutchman, great sea serpent, man in the moon, castle in the air, pipe dream, pie-in-the-sky, chateau en Espagne[Fr]; Utopia, Atlantis^†, happy valley, millennium, fairyland; land of Prester John, kindgom of Micomicon; work of fiction &c. (novel) 594; Arabian nights^†; le pot au lait[Fr]; dream of Alnashar &c. (hope) 858^†.

illusion &c. (error) 495; phantom &c. (fallacy of vision) 443; Fata Morgana &c. (ignis fatuus) 423[Lat]; vapor &c. (cloud) 353; stretch of the imagination &c. (exaggeration) 549; mythogenesis^†.

idealist, romanticist, visionary; mopus^†; romancer, dreamer; somnambulist; rhapsodist &c. (fanatic) 504; castle-buildier, fanciful projector.

V. imagine, fancy, conceive; idealize, realize; dream, dream of, dream up; "give to airy nothing a local habitation and a name" [Midsummer Night's Dream].

create, originate, devise, invent, coin, fabricate; improvise, strike out something new.

set one's wits to work; strain one's invention, crack one's invention; rack one's brains, ransack one's brains, cudgel one's brains; excogitate^†; brainstorm.

give play, give the reins, give a loose to the imagination, give fancy; indulge in reverie.

visualize, envision, conjure up a vision; fancy oneself, represent oneself, picture, picture-oneself, figure to oneself; vorstellen[Ger].

float in the mind; suggest itself &c. (thought) 451.

Adj. imagined &c. v.; ben trovato[It]; air drawn, airbuilt^†.

imagining &cv. v, imaginative; original, inventive, creative, fertile.

romantic, high flown, flighty, extravagant, fanatic, enthusiastic, unrealistic, Utopian, Quixotic.

ideal, unreal; in the clouds, in nubibus[Lat]; unsubsantial^† &c. 4; illusory &c. (fallacious) 495.

fabulous, legendary; mythical, mythic, mythological; chimerical; imaginary, visionary; notional; fancy, fanciful, fantastic, fantastical^†; whimsical; fairy, fairy-like; gestic^†.

Phr. "a change came o'er the spirit of my dream" [Byron]; aegri somnia vana[Lat]^†; dolphinum appingit sylvis in fluctibus aprum ^†[Latin][Horace]; "fancy light from fancy caught" [Tennyson]; "imagination rules the world" [Napoleon]; l'imagination gallope[Fr], le jugement ne va que le pas[French]; musaeo contingens cuncta lepore [Latin][Lucretius]; tous songes sont mensonges[French]; Wahrheil und Dichtung[German].

Division II. Communication of Ideas edit

Section I. Nature of Ideas Communicated edit

516. Meaning edit

[Idea to be conveyed.] Meaning. [Thing signified.]

N. meaning; signification, significance; sense, expression; import, purport; force; drift, tenor, spirit, bearing, coloring; scope.

[important part of the meaning] substance; gist, essence, marrow, spirit &c. 5.

matter; subject, subject matter; argument, text, sum and substance.

general meaning, broad meaning, substantial meaning, colloquial meaning, literal meaning, plain meaning, simple meaning, natural meaning, unstrained meaning, true &c. (exact) 494 meaning, honest &c. 543 meaning, prima facie &c. (manifest) 525 meaning[Lat]; letter of the law.

literally; after acceptation.

synonym; implication, allusion &c. (latency) 526; suggestion &c. (information) 527; figure of speech &c. 521; acceptation &c. (interpretation) 522.

V. mean, signify, express; import, purport; convey, imply, breathe, indicate, bespeak, bear a sense; tell of, speak of; touch on; point to, allude to; drive at; involve &c. (latency) 526; declare &c. (affirm) 535.

understand by &c. (interpret) 522.

Adj. meaning &c. v.; expressive, suggestive, allusive; significant, significative^†, significatory^†; pithy; full of meaning, pregnant with meaning.

declaratory &c. 535; intelligible &c. 518; literal; synonymous; tantamount &c. (equivalent) 27; implied &c. (latent) 526; explicit &c. 525.

Adv. to that effect; that is to say &c. (being interpreted) 522.

517. Unmeaningness edit

[Absence of meaning.]

N. meaninglessness, unmeaningness &c. adj^†.; scrabble.

empty sound, dead letter, vox et praeterea nihil[Lat]; "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"; "sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal."

nonsense, utter nonsense, gibberish; jargon, jabber, mere words, hocus-pocus, fustian, rant, bombast, balderdash, palaver, flummery, verbiage, babble, baverdage, baragouin^†, platitude, niaiserie^†; inanity; flap-doodle; rigmarole, rodomontade; truism; nugae canorae[Lat]; twaddle, twattle, fudge, trash, garbage, humbug; poppy-cock [U.S.]; stuff, stuff and nonsense; bosh, rubbish, moonshine, wish-wash, fiddle-faddle; absurdity &c. 497; vagueness &c. (unintelligibility) 519.

[routine or reflexive statements without substantive thought, esp. legal] boilerplate.

V. mean nothing; be unmeaning &c. adj.; twaddle, quibble, scrabble.

Adj. unmeaning; meaningless, senseless; nonsensical; void of sense &c. 516.

inexpressive, unexpressive; vacant; not significant &c. 516; insignificant.

trashy, washy, trumpery, trivial, fiddle-faddle, twaddling, quibbling.

unmeant, not expressed; tacit &c. (latent) 526.

inexpressible, undefinable, incommunicable.

518. Intelligibility edit

N. intelligibility; clearness, explicitness &c. adj.; lucidity, comprehensibility, perspicuity; legibility, plain speaking &c. (manifestation) 525; precision &c. 494; <gr phonanta="" synetoisy="" gr="">[Grk][Grk]; a word to the wise.

V. be intelligible &c. adj.; speak for itself, speak volumes; tell its own tale, lie on the surface.

render intelligible &c. adj.; popularize, simplify, clear up; elucidate &c. (explain) 522.

understand, comprehend, take, take in; catch, grasp, follow, collect, master, make out; see with half an eye, see daylight, see one's way; enter into the ideas of; come to an understanding.

Adj. intelligible; clear, clear as day, clear as noonday; lucid; perspicuous, transpicuous^†; luminous, transparent.

easily understood, easy to understand, for the million, intelligible to the meanest capacity, popularized.

plain, distinct, explicit; positive; definite &c. (precise) 494.

graphic; expressive &c. (meaning) 516; illustrative &c. (explanatory) 522.

unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable &c. (manifest) 525; unconfused; legible, recognizable; obvious &c. 525.

Adv. in plain terms, in plain words, in plain English.

Phr. he that runs may read &c. (manifest) 525. </gr>

519. Unintelligibility edit

N. unintelligibility; incomprehensibility, imperspicuity^†; inconceivableness, vagueness &c. adj.; obscurity; ambiguity &c. 520; doubtful meaning; uncertainty &c. 475; perplexity &c. (confusion) 59; spinosity^†; obscurum per obscurius[Lat]; mystification &c. (concealment) 528; latency &c. 526; transcendentalism.

paradox, oxymoron; riddle, enigma, puzzle &c. (secret) 533; diagnus vindice nodus[Lat]; sealed book; steganography^†, freemasonry.

pons asinorum[Lat], asses' bridge; high Dutch, Greek, Hebrew; jargon &c. (unmeaning) 517.

V. be unintelligible &c. adj.; require explanation &c. 522; have a doubtful meaning, pass comprehension.

render unintelligible &c. adj.; conceal &c 528; darken &c. 421; confuse &c. (derange) 61; perplex &c. (bewilder) 475.

not understand &c. 518; lose, lose the clue; miss; not know what to make of, be able to make nothing of, give it up; not be able to account for, not be able to make either head or tail of; be at sea &c. (uncertain) 475; wonder &c. 870; see through a glass darkly &c. (ignorance) 491.

not understand one another; play at cross purposes &c. (misinterpret) 523.

Adj. unintelligible, unaccountable, undecipherable, undiscoverable, unknowable, unfathomable; incognizable^†, inexplicable, inscrutable; inapprehensible^†, incomprehensible; insolvable^†, insoluble; impenetrable.

illegible, as Greek to one, unexplained, paradoxical; enigmatic, enigmatical, puzzling (secret) 533; indecipherable.

obscure, dark, muddy, clear as mud, seen through a mist, dim, nebulous, shrouded in mystery; ; opaque, dense; undiscernible &c. (invisible) 447^†; misty &c. (opaque) 426; hidden &c 528; latent &c 526.

indefinite, garbled &c (indistinct) 447; perplexed &c. (confused) 59; undetermined, vague, loose, ambiguous; mysterious; mystic, mystical; acroamatic^†, acroamatical^†; metempirical; transcendental; occult, recondite, abstruse, crabbed.

inconceivable, inconceptible^†; searchless^†; above comprehension, beyond comprehension, past comprehension; beyond one's depth; unconceived.

inexpressible, undefinable, incommunicable.

unpredictable, unforeseeable.

Phr. it's Greek to me.

520. Equivocalness edit

[Having a double sense]

N. equivocalness &c adj.; double meaning &c. 516; ambiguity, double entente, double entendre[Fr], pun, paragram^†, calembour^†, quibble, equivoque[Fr], anagram; conundrum &c (riddle) 533; play on words, word play &c. (wit) 842; homonym, homonymy[Gram]; amphiboly^†, amphibology^†; ambilogy^†, ambiloquy|.

Sphinx, Delphic oracle.

equivocation &c. (duplicity) 544; white lie, mental reservation &c. (concealment) 528; paltering.

V. be -equivocal &c. adj.; have two meanings &c. 516; equivocate &c. (alter) 544.

Adj. equivocal, ambiguous, amphibolous^†, homonymous^†; double-tongued &c. (lying) 544; enigmatical, indeterminate.

Phr. on the one hand, on the other hand.

521. Metaphor edit

N. figure of speech; facon de parler [French], way of speaking, colloquialism.

phrase &c. 566; figure, trope, metaphor, enallage^†, catachresis^†; metonymy[Gram], synecdoche[Semant]; autonomasia|!, irony, figurativeness &c. adj.; image, imagery; metalepsis^†, type, anagoge^†, simile, personification, prosopopoeia^†, allegory, apologue^†, parable, fable; allusion, adumbration; application.

exaggeration , hyperbole &c. 549.

association, association of ideas (analogy) 514a

V. employ -metaphor &c. n.; personify, allegorize, adumbrate, shadow forth, apply, allude to.

Adj. metaphorical, figurative, catachrestical^†, typical, tralatitious^†, parabolic, allegorical, allusive, anagogical^†; ironical; colloquial; tropical.

Adv. so to speak, so to say, so to express oneself; as it were.

Phr. mutato nomine de te fabula narratur [Lat][Horace].

522. Interpretation edit

N. interpretation, definition; explanation, explication; solution, answer; rationale; plain interpretation, simple interpretation, strict interpretation; meaning &c. 516.

translation; rendering, rendition; redition^†; literal translation, free translation; key; secret; clew &c. (indication) 550; clavis^†, crib, pony, trot [U.S.].

exegesis; expounding, exposition; hermeneutics; comment, commentary; inference &c. (deduction) 480; illustration, exemplification; gloss, annotation, scholium^†, note; elucidation, dilucidation|; eclaircissement[Fr], mot d'enigme[Fr].

[methods of interpreting - list] symptomatology[Med], semiology, semeiology^†, semiotics; metoposcopy^†, physiognomy; paleography &c. (philology) 560; oneirology

acception^†, acceptation, acceptance; light, reading, lection, construction, version.

equivalent, equivalent meaning &c. 516; synonym; paraphrase, metaphrase^†; convertible terms, apposition; dictionary &c. 562; polyglot.

V. interpret, explain, define, construe, translate, render; do into, turn into; transfuse the sense of.

find out &c. 480a the meaning &c. 516 of; read; spell out, make out; decipher, unravel, disentangle; find the key of, enucleate, resolve, solve; read between the lines.

account for; find the cause, tell the cause &c. 153 of; throw light upon, shed light upon, shed new light upon, shed fresh light upon; clear up, clarify, elucidate.

illustrate, exemplify; unfold, expound, comment upon, annotate; popularize &c. (render intelligible) 518.

take in a particular sense, understand in a particular sense, receive in a particular sense, accept in a particular sense; understand by, put a construction on, be given to understand.

Adj. explanatory, expository; explicative, explicatory; exegetical^†; construable.

polyglot; literal; paraphrastic, metaphrastic^†; consignificative^†, synonymous; equivalent &c. 27.

Adv. in explanation &c. n.; that is to say, id est, videlicet, to wit, namely, in other words.

literally, strictly speaking; in plain, in plainer terms, in plainer words, in plainer English; more simply.

523. Misinterpretation edit

N. misinterpretation, misapprehension, misunderstanding, misacceptation|, misconstruction, misapplication; catachresis^†; eisegesis^†; cross-reading, cross-purposes; mistake &c. 495.

misrepresentation, perversion, exaggeration &c. 549; false coloring, false construction; abuse of terms; parody, travesty; falsification &c. (lying) 544.

V. misinterpret, misapprehend, misunderstand, misconceive, misspell, mistranslate, misconstrue, misapply; mistake &c. 495.

misrepresent, pervert; explain wrongly, misstate; garble &c. (falsify) 544; distort, detort|; travesty, play upon words; stretch the sense, strain the sense, stretch the meaning, strain the meaning, wrest the sense, wrest the meaning; explain away; put a bad construction on, put a false construction on; give a false coloring.

be at cross purposes, play at cross purposes.

Adj. misinterpreted &c. v.; untranslated, untranslatable.

524. Interpreter edit

N. interpreter; expositor, expounder, exponent, explainer; demonstrator.

scholiast, commentator, annotator; metaphrast^†, paraphrast^†; glossarist^†, prolocutor.

spokesman, speaker, mouthpiece.

dragoman, courier, valet de place, cicerone, showman; oneirocritic^†; (Edipus; oracle &c. 513)

Section II. Modes of Communication edit

525. Manifestation edit

N. {ant. 526} manifestation; plainness &c. adj.; plain speaking; expression; showing &c. v.; exposition, demonstration; exhibition, production; display, show; showing off; premonstration|. exhibit[Thing shown].

indication &c. (calling attention to) 457. publicity &c. 531; disclosure &c. 529; openness &c. (honesty) 543, (artlessness) 703; �panchement.

evidence &c. 467.

V. make manifest, render manifest &c. adj.; bring forth, bring forward, bring to the front, bring into view; give notice; express; represent, set forth, exhibit; show, show up ; expose; produce; hold up to view, expose to view; set before one, place before one, lay before one, one's eyes; tell to one's face; trot out, put through one's paces, bring to light, display, demonstrate, unroll; lay open; draw out, bring out; bring out in strong relief; call into notice, bring into notice; hold up the mirror; wear one's heart upon his sleeve; show one's face, show one's colors; manifest oneself; speak out; make no mystery, make no secret of; unfurl the flag; proclaim &c. (publish) 531.

indicate &c. (direct attention to) 457; disclose &c. 529; elicit &c. 480a.

be manifest &c. adj.; appear &c. (be visible) 446; transpire &c. (be disclosed) 529; speak for itself, stand to reason; stare one in the face, rear its head; give token, give sign, give indication of; tell its own tale &c. (intelligible) 518.

Adj. manifest, apparent; salient, striking, demonstrative, prominent, in the foreground, notable, pronounced.

flagrant; notorious &c. (public) 531; arrant; stark staring; unshaded, glaring.

defined, definite.

distinct, conspicuous &c. (visible) 446; obvious, evident, unmistakable, indubitable, not to be mistaken, palpable, self-evident, autoptical^†; intelligible &c. 518.

plain, clear, clear as day, clear as daylight, clear as noonday; plain as a pike staff, plain as the sun at noon-day, plain as the nose on one's face, plain as the way to parish church.

explicit, overt, patent, express; ostensible; open, open as day; naked, bare, literal, downright, undisguised, exoteric.

unreserved, frank, plain-spoken &c. (artless) 703; candid (veracious) 543; barefaced.

manifested &c. v.; disclosed &c. 529; capable of being shown, producible; inconcealable^†, unconcealable; no secret.

Adv. manifestly, openly &c. adj.; before one's eyes, under one's nose, to one's face, face to face, above board, cartes sur table, on the stage, in open court, in the open streets; in market overt; in the face of day, face of heaven; in broad daylight, in open daylight; without reserve; at first blush, prima facie[Lat], on the face of; in set terms.

Phr. cela saute aux yeux[French]; he that runs may read; you can see it with half an eye; it needs no ghost to tell us [Hamlet]; the meaning lies on the surface; cela va sans dire[Fr]; res ipsa loquitur[Lat]; "clothing the palpable and familiar" [Coleridge]; fari quae sentiat[Lat]; volto sciolto i pensieri stretti [It]; "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" [Bob Dylan].

526. Latency edit

Latency. Implication.

N. {ant. 525} latency, inexpression^†; hidden meaning, occult meaning; occultness, mystery, cabala^†, anagoge^†; silence &c (taciturnity) 585; concealment &c. 528; more than meets the eye, more than meets the ear; Delphic oracle; le dessous des cartes[Fr], undercurrent.

implication, logical implication; logical consequence; entailment.

allusion, insinuation; innuendo &c. 527; adumbration; "something rotten in the state of Denmark" [Hamlet].

snake in the grass &c. (pitfall) 667; secret &c. 533.

darkness, invisibility, imperceptibility.

V. be latent &c. adj.; lurk, smolder, underlie, make no sign; escape observation, escape detection, escape recognition; lie hid &c. 528.

laugh in one's sleeve; keep back &c. (conceal) 528.

involve, imply, understand, allude to, infer, leave an inference; entail; whisper &c. (conceal) 528.

[understand the implication] read between the lines.

Adj. latent; lurking &c.v.; secret &c. 528; occult; implied &c. v.; dormant; abeyant.

unapparent, unknown, unseen &c. 441; in the background; invisible &c. 447; indiscoverable^†, dark; impenetrable &c. (unintelligible) 519; unspied^†, unsuspected.

unsaid, unwritten, unpublished, unbreathed^†, untalked of^†, untold &c. 527, unsung, unexposed, unproclaimed^†, undisclosed &c. 529, unexpressed; not expressed, tacit.

undeveloped, solved, unexplained, untraced^†, undiscovered &c. 480a, untracked, unexplored, uninvented^†.

indirect, crooked, inferential; by inference, by implication; implicit; constructive; allusive, covert, muffled; steganographic^†; understood, underhand, underground; delitescent^†, concealed &c. 528.

Adv. by a side wind; sub silentio[Lat]; in the background; behind the scenes, behind one's back; on the tip of one's tongue; secretly &c. 528; between the lines.

Phr. "thereby hangs a tale" [As You Like It]; tacitum vivit sub pectore vulnus [Lat][Vergil]; where there's smoke, there's fire.

527. Information edit

N. information, enlightenment, acquaintance, knowledge &c. 490; publicity &c. 531; data &c. 467.

communication, intimation; notice, notification; enunciation, annunciation; announcement; communiqu�; representation, round robin, presentment.

case, estimate, specification, report, advice, monition; news &c. 532; return &c. (record) 551; account &c. (description) 594; statement &c. (affirmation) 535.

mention; acquainting &c. v; instruction &c. (teaching) 537; outpouring; intercommunication, communicativeness.

informant, authority, teller, intelligencer^†, reporter, exponent, mouthpiece;

informer, eavesdropper, delator, detective; sleuth; mouchard^†, spy, newsmonger; messenger &c. 534; amicus curiae[Lat].

valet de place, cicerone, pilot, guide; guidebook, handbook; vade mecum[Latin]; manual; map, plan, chart, gazetteer; itinerary &c. (journey) 266.

hint, suggestion, innuendo, inkling, whisper, passing word, word in the ear, subaudition^†, cue, byplay; gesture &c. (indication) 550; gentle hint, broad hint; verbum sapienti [Latin: a word to the wise]; insinuation &c. (latency) 526.

information theory.

[units of information] bit, byte, word, doubleword[Comp], quad word, paragraph, segment.

[information storage media] magnetic media, paper medium, optical media; random access memory, RAM; read-only memory, ROM; write once read mostly memory, WORM.

V. tell; inform, inform of; acquaint, acquaint with; impart, impart to; make acquaintance with, apprise, advise, enlighten, awaken; transmit.

let fall, mention, express, intimate, represent, communicate, make known; publish &c. 531; notify, signify, specify, convey the knowledge of.

let one know, have one to know; give one to understand; give notice; set before, lay before, put before; point out, put into one's head; put one in possession of; instruct &c. (teach) 537; direct the attention to &c. 457.

announce, annunciate; report, report progress; bringword^†, send word, leave word, write word; telegraph, telephone; wire; retail, render an account; give an account &c. (describe) 594; state &c (affirm) 535.

[disclose inadvertently or reluctantly] let slip, blurt out, spill the beans, unburden oneself of, let off one's chest; disclose &c. 529.

show cause; explain &c. (interpret) 522.

hint; given an inkling of; give a hint, drop a hint, throw out a hint; insinuate; allude to, make allusion to; glance at; tip the wink &c. (indicate) 550; suggest, prompt, give the cue, breathe; whisper, whisper in the ear.

give a bit of one's mind; tell one plainly, tell once for all; speak volumes.

undeceive^†, unbeguile^†; set right, correct, open the eyes of, disabuse, disillusion one of.

be informed of &c.; know &c 490; learn &c. 539; get scent of, get wind of, gather from; awaken to, open one's eyes to; become alive, become awake to; hear, overhear, understand.

come to one's ears, come to one's knowledge; reach one's ears.

Adj. informed &c. v.; communique; reported &c. v.; published &c. 531.

expressive &c. 516; explicit &c. (open) 525, (clear) 518; plain spoken &c, (artless) 703.

nuncupative, nuncupatory|; declaratory, expository; enunciative^†; communicative, communicatory^†.

Adv. from information received.

Phr. a little bird told me; I heard it through the grapevine.

527a. Correction edit

[Correct an error of information; distinguish from correcting a flaw or misbehavior]

N. correction.

disillusionment &c. 616.

V. correct, set right, set straight, put straight; undeceive^†; enlighten.

show one one's error; point out an error, point out a fallacy; pick out an error, pick out the fallacy; open one's eyes.

pick apart an argument, confutation &c. 479; reasoning &c. 476.

Adj. corrective.

Phr. I stand corrected.

528. Concealment edit

N. concealment; hiding &c. v.; occultation, mystification.

seal of secrecy; screen &c. 530; disguise &c. 530; masquerade; masked battery; hiding place &c. 530; cryptography, steganography^†; freemasonry.

stealth, stealthiness, sneakiness; obreption|; slyness &c. (cunning) 702.

latitancy^†, latitation^†; seclusion &c. 893; privacy, secrecy, secretness^†; incognita.

reticence; reserve; mental reserve, reservation; arriere pensee[Fr], suppression, evasion, white lie, misprision; silence &c. (taciturnity) 585; suppression of truth &c. 544; underhand dealing; closeness, secretiveness &c. adj.; mystery.

latency &c. 526; snake in the grass; secret &c. 533; stowaway.

V. conceal, hide, secrete, put out of sight; lock up, seal up, bottle up.

encrypt, encode, cipher.

cover, screen, cloak, veil, shroud; cover up one's tracks; screen from sight, screen from observation; drawing the veil; draw the curtain, close the curtain; curtain, shade, eclipse, throw a view over; be cloud, be mask; mask, disguise; ensconce, muffle, smother; befog; whisper.

keep from; keep back, keep to oneself; keep snug, keep close, keep secret, keep dark; bury; sink, suppress; keep from, keep from out of view, keep from out of sight; keep in the shade, throw into the shade, throw into background; stifle, hush up, smother, withhold, reserve; fence with a question; ignore &c. 460.

keep a secret, keep one's own counsel; hold one's tongue &c. (silence) 585; make no sign, not let it go further; not breathe a word, not breathe a syllable about; not let the right hand know what the left is doing; hide one's light under a bushel, bury one's talent in a napkin.

keep in the dark, leave in the dark, keep in the ignorance; blind, blind the eyes; blindfold, hoodwink, mystify; puzzle &c. (render uncertain) 475; bamboozle &c. (deceive) 545.

be concealed &c. v.; suffer an eclipse; retire from sight, couch; hide oneself; lie hid, lie in perdu[Fr], lie in close; lie in ambush (ambush) 530; seclude oneself &c. 893; lurk, sneak, skulk, slink, prowl; steal into, steal out of, steal by, steal along; play at bopeep^†, play at hide and seek; hide in holes and corners; still hunt.

Adj. concealed &c. v.; hidden; secret, recondite, mystic, cabalistic, occult, dark; cryptic, cryptical^†; private, privy, in petto, auricular, clandestine, close, inviolate; tortuous.

behind a screen &c. 530; undercover, under an eclipse; in ambush, in hiding, in disguise; in a cloud, in a fog, in a mist, in a haze, in a dark corner; in the shade, in the dark; clouded, wrapped in clouds, wrapt in clouds^†; invisible &c.447; buried, underground, perdu[Fr]; secluded &c. 893.

undisclosed &c. 529, untold &c. 527; covert &c. (latent) 526; untraceable; mysterious &c. (unintelligible) 519.

irrevealable^†, inviolable; confidential; esoteric; not to be spoken of; unmentionable.

obreptitious^†, furtive, stealthy, feline; skulking &c. v.; surreptitious, underhand, hole and corner; sly &c. (cunning). 702; secretive, evasive; reserved, reticent, uncommunicative, buttoned up; close, close as wax; taciturn &c. 585.

Adv. secretly &c. adj.; in secret, in private, in one's sleeve, in holes and corners; in the dark &c. adj.

januis clausis[Lat], with closed doors, a huis clos[Fr]; hugger mugger, a la derobee[Fr]; under the cloak of, under the rose, under the table; sub rosa[Lat], en tapinois[Fr], in the background, aside, on the sly, with bated breath, sotto voce[Lat], in a whisper, without beat of drum, a la sourdine^†.

behind the veil; beyond mortal ken, beyond the grave, beyond the veil; hid from mortal vision; into the eternal secret, into the realms supersensible^†, into the supreme mystery.

in confidence, in strict confidence, in strictest confidence; confidentially &c. adj.; between ourselves, between you and me; between you and me and the bedpost; entre nous[Fr], inter nos, under the seal of secrecy; a couvert[Fr].

underhand, by stealth, like a thief in the night; stealthily &c. adj.; behind the scenes, behind the curtain, behind one's back, behind a screen &c. 530; incognito; in camera.

Phr. it must go no further, it will go no further; don't tell a soul;"tell it not in Gath," nobody the wiser; alitur vitium vivitque tegendo[Lat]^†; "let it be tenable in your silence still"[Hamlet].

[confidential disclosure to news reporters] background information, deep background information, deep background; background session, backgrounder; not for attribution

529. Disclosure edit

N. disclosure; retection|; unveiling &c.v.; deterration^†, revealment, revelation; exposition, exposure; expose; whole truth; telltale &c (news) 532.

acknowledgment, avowal; confession, confessional; shrift.

bursting of a bubble; denouement.

[person who discloses a secret] tattletale, snitch, fink, stool pigeon, canary.

V. disclose, discover, dismask|; draw the veil, draw aside the veil, lift the veil, raise the veil, lift up the veil, remove the veil, tear aside the veil, tear the curtain; unmask, unveil, unfold, uncover, unseal, unkennel; take off the seal, break the seal; lay open, lay bare; expose; open, open up; bare, bring to light.

divulge, reveal, break; squeal, tattle, sing, rat, snitch [all coll.]; let into the secret; reveal the secrets of the prison house; tell &c (inform) 527; breathe, utter, blab, peach; let out, let fall, let drop, let slip, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag; betray; tell tales, come out of school; come out with; give vent, give utterance to; open the lips, blurt out, vent, whisper about; speak out &c (make manifest) 525; make public &c 531; unriddle &c (find out) 480a; split.

acknowledge, allow, concede, grant, admit, own, own up to, confess, avow, throw off all disguise, turn inside out, make a clean breast; show one's hand, show one's cards; unburden one's mind, disburden one's mind, disburden one's conscience, disburden one's heart; open one's mind, lay bare one's mind, tell a piece of one's mind[Fr]; unbosom oneself, own to the soft impeachment; say the truth, speak the truth; turn King's (or Queen's) evidence; acknowledge the corn* [U.S.].

raise the mask, drop the mask, lift the mask, remove the mask, throw off the mask; expose; lay open; undeceive^†, unbeguile^†; disabuse, set right, correct, open the eyes of; d�sillusionner.

be disclosed &c.; transpire, come to light; come in sight &c. (be visible) 446; become known, escape the lips; come out, ooze out, creep out, leak out, peep out, crop-out; show its face, show its colors; discover &c. itself; break through the clouds, flash on the mind.

Adj. disclosed &c.v.; open, public &c. 525.

Int.out with it!

Phr. the murder is out; a light breaks in upon one; the scales fall from one's eyes; the eyes are opened.

530. Ambush edit

[Means of concealment]

N. camouflage; mimicry; hiding place; secret place, secret drawer; recess, hold, holes and corners; closet, crypt, adytum^†, abditory^†, oubliette.

ambush, ambuscade; stalking horse; lurking hole, lurking place; secret path, back stairs; retreat &c. (refuge) 666.

screen, cover, shade, blinker; veil, curtain, blind, cloak, cloud.

mask, visor, vizor^†, disguise, masquerade dress, domino.

pitfall &c. (source of danger) 667; trap &c. (snare) 545.

V. blend in, blend into the background.

lie in ambush &c (hide oneself) 528; lie in wait for, lurk; set a trap for &c (deceive) 545; ambuscade, ambush.

[transitive] camouflage.

Adj. camouflaged, hidden, concealed.

Adv. aux aguets^†.

531. Publication edit

N. publication; public announcement &c 527; promulgation, propagation, proclamation, pronunziamento [Italian]; circulation, indiction^†, edition; hue and cry.

publicity, notoriety, currency, flagrancy, cry, bruit, hype; vox populi; report &c (news) 532.

the Press, public press, newspaper, journal, gazette, daily; telegraphy; publisher &c v.; imprint.

circular, circular letter; manifesto, advertisement, ad., placard, bill, affiche^†, broadside, poster; notice &c. 527.

V. publish; make public, make known &c (information) 527; speak of, talk of; broach, utter; put forward; circulate, propagate, promulgate; spread, spread abroad; rumor, diffuse, disseminate, evulugate; put forth, give forth, send forth; emit, edit, get out; issue; bring before the public, lay before the public, drag before the public; give out, give to the world; put about, bandy about, hawk about, buzz about, whisper about, bruit about, blaze about; drag into the open day; voice.

proclaim, herald, blazon; blaze abroad, noise abroad; sound a trumpet; trumpet forth, thunder forth; give tongue; announce with beat of drum, announce with flourish of trumpets; proclaim from the housetops, proclaim at Charing Cross.

advertise, placard; post, post up afficher^†, publish in the Gazette, send round the crier.

raise a cry, raise a hue and cry, raise a report; set news afloat.

be published &c; be public, become public &c adj.; come out; go about, fly about, buzz about, blow about; get about, get abroad, get afloat, get wind; find vent; see the light; go forth, take air, acquire currency, pass current; go the rounds, go the round of the newspapers, go through the length and breadth of the land; virum volitare per ora[Lat]; pass from mouth to mouth; spread; run like wildfire, spread like wildfire.

Adj. published &c.v.; current &c. (news) 532; in circulation, public; notorious; flagrant, arrant; open &c 525; trumpet-tongued; encyclical, encyclic^†, promulgatory^†; exoteric.

Adv. publicly &c. adj.; in open court, with open doors.

Int. Oyez! O yes! notice!

Phr. notice is hereby given; this is to give, these are to give notice; nomina stultorum parietibus haerent[Lat]; semel emissum volat irrevocabile verbum[Lat]..

532. News edit

N. news; information &c 527; piece of news[Fr], budget of news, budget of information; intelligence, tidings.

word, advice, aviso[Sp], message; dispatch, despatch; telegram, cable, marconigram^†, wire, communication, errand, embassy.

report, rumor, hearsay, on dit[Fr], flying rumor, news stirring, cry, buzz, bruit, fame; talk, oui dire[Fr], scandal, eavesdropping; town tattle, table talk; tittle tattle; canard, topic of the day, idea afloat.

bulletin, fresh news, stirring news; glad tidings; flash, news just in; on-the-spot coverage; live coverage.

old story, old news, stale news, stale story; chestnut*.

narrator &c (describe) 594; newsmonger, scandalmonger; talebearer, telltale, gossip, tattler.

[study of news reporting] journalism.

[methods of conveying news] media, news media, the press, the information industry; newspaper, magazine, tract, journal, gazette, publication &c. 531; radio, television, ticker (electronic information transmission) .

[organizations producing news reports] United Press International, UPI; Associated Press, AP; The Dow Jones News Service, DJ; The New York Times News Service, NYT[abbr]; Reuters [England]; TASS [Soviet Union]; The Nikkei [Japan].

[person reporting news as a profession] newscaster, newsman, newswoman, reporter, journalist, correspondent, foreign correspondent, special correspondent, war correspondent, news team, news department; anchorman, anchorwoman^†; sportscaster; weatherman.

[officials providing news for an organization] press secretary, public relations department, public relations man.

V. transpire &c (be disclosed) 529; rumor &c (publish) 531.

Adj. many-tongued; rumored; publicly rumored, currently rumored, currently reported; rife, current, floating, afloat, going about, in circulation, in every one's mouth, all over the town.

in progress; live; on the spot; in person.

Adv. as the story goes, as the story runs; as they say, it is said; by telegraph, by wireless.

Phr. "airy tongues that syllable men's names" [Milton]; what's up?; what's the latest?; what's new?; what's the latest poop?.

533. Secret edit

N. secret; dead secret, profound secret; arcanum^†, mystery; latency &c 526; Asian mystery^†; sealed book, secrets of the prison house; le desous des cartes [Fr].

enigma, riddle, puzzle, nut to crack, conundrum, charade, rebus, logogriph^†; monogram, anagram; Sphinx; crux criticorum[Lat].

maze, labyrinth, Hyrcynian wood; intricacy, meander.

problem &c (question) 461; paradox &c (difficulty) 704; unintelligibility &c. 519; terra incognita &c. (ignorance) 491.

Adj. secret &c. (concealed) 528; involved &c, 248; labyrinthine, labyrinthian^†, mazy.

confidential; top secret.

534. Messenger edit

N. messenger, envoy, emissary, legate; nuncio, internuncio^†; ambassador &c (diplomatist) 758.

marshal, flag bearer, herald, crier, trumpeter, bellman^†, pursuivant^†, parlementaire[Fr], apparitor^†.

courier, runner; dak^†, estafette^†; Mercury, Iris, Ariel^†.

commissionaire[Fr]; errand boy, chore boy; newsboy.

mail, overnight mail, express mail, next-day delivery; post, post office; letter bag; delivery service; United Parcel Service, UPS; Federal Express, Fedex.

telegraph, telephone; cable, wire (electronic information transmission); carrier pigeon.

[person reporting news: see news &c. 532] reporter, gentleman of the press, representative of the press; penny-a-liner; special correspondent, own correspondent; spy, scout; informer &c. 527.

535. Affirmation edit

N. affirmance, affirmation; statement, allegation, assertion, predication, declaration, word, averment; confirmation.

asseveration, adjuration, swearing, oath, affidavit; deposition &c (record) 551; avouchment; assurance; protest, protestation; profession; acknowledgment &c. (assent) 488; legal pledge, pronouncement; solemn averment, solemn avowal, solemn declaration.

remark, observation; position &c. (proposition) 514, saying, dictum, sentence, ipse dixit[Lat].

emphasis; weight; dogmatism &c. (certainty) 474; dogmatics &c 887.

V. assert; make an assertion &c n.; have one's say; say, affirm, predicate, declare, state; protest, profess.

put forth, put forward; advance, allege, propose, propound, enunciate, broach, set forth, hold out, maintain, contend, pronounce, pretend.

depose, depone, aver, avow, avouch, asseverate, swear; make oath, take one's oath; make an affidavit, swear an affidavit, put in an affidavit; take one's Bible oath, kiss the book, vow, vitam impendere vero[Lat]; swear till one is black in the face, swear till one is blue in the face, swear till all's blue; be sworn, call Heaven to witness; vouch, warrant, certify, assure, swear by bell book and candle.

swear by &c (believe) 484; insist upon, take one's stand upon; emphasize, lay stress on; assert roundly, assert positively; lay down, lay down the law; raise one's voice, dogmatize, have the last word; rap out; repeat; reassert, reaffirm.

announce &c (information) 527; acknowledge &c (assent) 488; attest &c (evidence) 467; adjure &c (put to one's oath) 768.

Adj. asserting &c.v.; declaratory, predicatory^†, pronunciative^†, affirmative, soi-disant[Fr]; positive; certain &c 474; express, explicit &c (patent) 525; absolute, emphatic, flat, broad, round, pointed, marked, distinct, decided, confident, trenchant, dogmatic, definitive, formal, solemn, categorical, peremptory; unretracted^†; predicable.

Adv. affirmatively &c adj.; in the affirmative.

with emphasis, ex-cathedra, without fear of contradiction.

as God is my witness, I must say, indeed, i' faith, let me tell you, why, give me leave to say, marry, you may be sure, I'd have you to know; upon my word, upon my honor; by my troth, egad, I assure you; by jingo, by Jove, by George, &c.; troth, seriously, sadly; in sadness, in sober sadness, in truth, in earnest; of a truth, truly, perdy^†, in all conscience, upon oath; be assured &c (belief) 484; yes &c (assent) 488; I'll warrant, I'll warrant you, I'll engage, I'll answer for it, I'll be bound, I'll venture to say, I'll take my oath; in fact, forsooth, joking apart; so help me God; not to mince the matter.

Phr. quoth he; dixi[Lat].

536. Negation edit

N. negation, abnegation; denial; disavowal, disclaimer; abjuration; contradiction, contravention; recusation^†[Law], protest; recusancy &c (dissent) 489; flat contradiction, emphatic contradiction, emphatic denial, dementi[Lat].

qualification &c 469; repudiation &c 610; retraction &c 607; confutation &c 479; refusal &c 764; prohibition &c 761.

V. deny; contradict, contravene; controvert, give denial to, gainsay, negative, shake the head.

disown, disaffirm, disclaim, disavow; recant &c 607; revoke &c (abrogate) 756.

dispute; impugn, traverse, rebut, join issue upon; bring in question, call in question &c. (doubt) 485; give (one) the lie in his throat.

deny flatly, deny peremptorily, deny emphatically, deny absolutely, deny wholly, deny entirely; give the lie to, belie.

repudiate &c 610; set aside, ignore &c 460; rebut &c. (confute) 479; qualify &c 469; refuse &c 764.

recuse[Law].

Adj. denying &c.v.; denied &c.v.; contradictory; negative, negatory; recusant &c (dissenting) 489; at issue upon.

Adv. no, nay, not, nowise; not a bit, not a whit, not a jot; not at all, nohow, not in the least, not so; negative, negatory; no way [coll.]; no such thing; nothing of the kind, nothing of the sort; quite the contrary, tout au contraire[Fr], far from it; tant s'en faut[Fr]; on no account, in no respect; by no, by no manner of means; negatively.

[negative with respect to time] never, never in a million years; at no time.

Phr. there never was a greater mistake; I know better; non haec in faedera[Lat]; a thousand times no.

537. Teaching edit

N. teaching &c.v.; instruction; edification; education; tuition; tutorage, tutelage; direction, guidance; opsimathy^†.

qualification, preparation; training, schooling &c. v.; discipline; excitation.

drill, practice; book exercise.

persuasion, proselytism, propagandism^†, propaganda; indoctrination, inculcation, inoculation; advise &c. 695.

explanation &c (interpretation) 522; lesson, lecture, sermon; apologue^†, parable; discourse, prolection^†, preachment; chalk talk; Chautauqua [U.S.].

exercise, task; curriculum; course, course of study; grammar, three R's, initiation, A.B.C. &c (beginning) 66.

elementary education, primary education, secondary education, technical education, college education, collegiate education, military education, university education, liberal education, classical education, religious education, denominational education, moral education, secular education; propaedeutics^†, moral tuition.

gymnastics, calisthenics; physical drill, physical education; sloyd^†.

[methods of teaching] phonics; rote, rote memorization, brute memory; cooperative learning; Montessori method, ungraded classes.

[measuring degree of learning of pupils] test, examination, exam; final exam, mid-term exam grade[result of measurement of learning], score, marks; A,B,C,D,E,F; gentleman's C; pass, fail, incomplete.

homework; take-home lesson; exercise for the student; theme, project.

V. teach, instruct, educate, edify, school, tutor; cram, prime, coach; enlighten &c (inform) 527.

inculcate, indoctrinate, inoculate, infuse, instill, infix, ingraft^†, infiltrate; imbue, impregnate, implant; graft, sow the seeds of, disseminate.

given an idea of; put up to, put in the way of; set right.

sharpen the wits, enlarge the mind; give new ideas, open the eyes, bring forward, "teach the young idea how to shoot" [Thomson]; improve &c. 658.

expound &c (interpret) 522; lecture; read a lesson, give a lesson, give a lecture, give a sermon, give a discourse; incept^†; hold forth, preach; sermonize, moralize; point a moral.

train, discipline; bring up, bring up to; form, ground, prepare, qualify; drill, exercise, practice, habituate, familiarize with, nurture, drynurse^†, breed, rear, take in hand; break, break in; tame; preinstruct^†; initiate; inure &c (habituate) 613.

put to nurse, send to school.

direct, guide; direct attention to &c. (attention) 457; impress upon the mind, impress upon the memory; beat into, beat into the head; convince &c (belief) 484.

[instructional materials] book, workbook, exercise book.

[unnecessary teaching] preach to the wise, teach one's grandmother to suck eggs, teach granny to suck eggs; preach to the converted.

Adj. teaching &c.v; taught &c.v.; educational; scholastic, academic, doctrinal; disciplinal^†; instructive, instructional, didactic; propaedeutic^†, propaedeutical^†.

Phr. the schoolmaster abroad; a bovi majori disscit arare minor[Lat]; adeo in teneris consuecere multum est [Lat][Vergil]; docendo discimus[Lat]; quaenocent docent[Lat]; qui docet discit[Latin]; "sermons in stones and good in everything" [As You Like It].

538. Misteaching edit

N. misteaching^†, misinformaton, misintelligence^†, misguidance, misdirection, mispersuasion^†, misinstruction^†, misleading &c.v.; perversion, false teaching; sophistry &c 477; college of Laputa; the blind leading the blind.

[misteaching by government agents] propaganda, disinformation, agitprop; indoctrination.

V. misinform, misteach^†, misdescribe^†, misinstruct^†, miscorrect^†; misdirect, misguide; pervert; put on a false scent, throw off the scent, throw off the trail; deceive &c 545; mislead &c (error) 495; misrepresent; lie &c 544; ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces [Lat][Vergil].

propagandize, disinform.

render unintelligible &c 519; bewilder &c (uncertainty) 475; mystify &c. (conceal) 528; unteach.

[person or government agent who misteaches] propagandist.

Adj. misteaching &c.v^†; unedifying.

Phr. piscem natare doces [Lat]; the blind leading the blind.

539. Learning edit

N. learning; acquisition of knowledge &c 490, acquisition of skill &c 698; acquirement, attainment; edification, scholarship, erudition; acquired knowledge, lore, wide information; self- instruction; study, reading, perusal; inquiry &c 451.

apprenticeship, prenticeship^†; pupilage, pupilarity^†; tutelage, novitiate, matriculation.

docility &c (willingness) 602; aptitude &c 698.

V. learn; acquire knowledge, gain knowledge, receive knowledge, take in knowledge, drink in knowledge, imbibe knowledge, pick up knowledge, gather knowledge, get knowledge, obtain knowledge, collect knowledge, glean knowledge, glean information, glean learning.

acquaint oneself with, master; make oneself master of, make oneself acquainted with; grind, cram; get up, coach up; learn by heart, learn by rote.

read, spell, peruse; con over, pore over, thumb over; wade through; dip into; run the eye over, run the eye through; turn over the leaves.

study; be studious &c adj.

[study intensely] burn the midnight oil, consume the midnight oil, mind one's book; cram.

go to school, go to college, go to the university; matriculate; serve an (or one's) apprenticeship, serve one's time; learn one's trade; be informed &c 527; be taught &c 537.

[stop going to school volunarily (intransitive)] drop out, leave school, quit school; graduate; transfer; take a leave.

[cause to stop going to school (transitive)] dismiss, expel, kick out of school.

[stop going to school involuntarily] flunk out; be dismissed &c.

Adj. studious; scholastic, scholarly; teachable; docile &c (willing) 602; apt &c 698, industrious &c 682.

Adv. at one's books; in statu pupillari &c (learner) 541[Lat].

Phr. "a lumber-house of books in every head" [Pope]; ancora imparo[Lat]^†! "hold high converse with the mighty dead" [Thomson]; "lash'd into Latin by the tingling rod" [Gay].

540. Teacher edit

N. teacher, trainer, instructor, institutor, master, tutor, director, Corypheus, dry nurse, coach, grinder, crammer, don; governor, bear leader; governess, duenna[Sp]; disciplinarian.

professor, lecturer, reader, prelector^†, prolocutor, preacher; chalk talker, khoja^†; pastor &c (clergy) 996; schoolmaster, dominie[Fr], usher, pedagogue, abecedarian; schoolmistress, dame, monitor, pupil teacher.

expositor &c 524; preceptor, guide; guru; mentor &c (adviser) 695; pioneer, apostle, missionary, propagandist, munshi^†, example &c (model for imitation) 22.

professorship &c (school) 542.

tutelage &c (teaching) 537.

Adj. professorial.

Phr. qui doet discet[Lat].

541. Learner edit

N. learner, scholar, student, pupil; apprentice, prentice^†, journeyman; articled clerk; beginner, tyro, amateur, rank amateur; abecedarian, alphabetarian^†; alumnus, eleve[Fr].

recruit, raw recruit, novice, neophyte, inceptor^†, catechumen, probationer; seminarian, chela, fellow-commoner; debutant.

[apprentice medical doctors] intern; resident.

schoolboy; fresh, freshman, frosh; junior soph^†, junior; senior soph^†, senior; sophister^†, sophomore; questionist^†.

[college and university students] undergraduate; graduate student; law student; medical student; pre-med; post-doctoral student, post-doc; matriculated student; part-time student, night student, auditor.

[group of learners] class, grade, seminar, form, remove; pupilage &c (learning) 539.

disciple, follower, apostle, proselyte; fellow-student, condisciple^†.

[place of learning] school &c. 542.

V. learn; practise.

Adj. in statu pupillari[Lat], in leading strings.

Phr. practise makes perfect.

542. School edit

N. school, academy, university, alma mater, college, seminary, Lyceum; institute, institution; palaestra, Gymnasium, class, seminar.

day school, boarding school, preparatory school, primary school, infant school, dame's school, grammar school, middle class school, Board school, denominational school, National school, British and Foreign school, collegiate school, art school, continuation school, convent school, County Council school, government school, grant-in-aid school, high school, higher grade school, military school, missionary school, naval school, naval academy, state-aided school, technical school, voluntary school, school; school of art; kindergarten, nursery, creche, reformatory.

pulpit, lectern, soap box desk, reading desk, ambo^†, lecture room, theater, auditorium, amphitheater, forum, state, rostrum, platform, hustings, tribune.

school book, horn book, text book; grammar, primer, abecedary^†, rudiments, manual, vade mecum; encyclopedia, cyclopedia; Lindley Murray, Cocker; dictionary, lexicon.

professorship, lectureship, readership, fellowship, tutorship; chair.

School Board Council of Education; Board of Education; Board of Studies, Prefect of Studies; Textbook Committee; propaganda.

Adj. scholastic, academic, collegiate; educational.

Adv. ex cathedra[Lat].

543. Veracity edit

N. veracity; truthfulness, frankness, &c. adj.; truth, sincerity, candor, unreserve|!, honesty, fidelity; plain dealing, bona fides[Lat]; love of truth; probity &c. 939; ingenuousness &c (artlessness) 703.

the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth; honest truth, sober truth &c (fact) 494; unvarnished tale; light of truth.

V. speak the truth, tell the truth; speak by the card; paint in its true colors, show oneself in one's true colors; make a clean breast &c (disclose) 529; speak one's mind &c. (be blunt) 703; not lie &c 544, not deceive &c. 545.

Adj. truthful, true; veracious, veridical; scrupulous &c (honorable) 939; sincere, candid, frank, open, straightforward, unreserved; open hearted, true hearted, simple-hearted; honest, trustworthy; undissembling &c (dissemble &c 544)^†; guileless, pure; truth-loving; unperjured^†; true blue, as good as one's word; unaffected, unfeigned, bona fide; outspoken, ingenuous &c (artless) 703; undisguised &c (real) 494.

uncontrived.

Adv. truly &c (really) 494; in plain words &c 703; in truth, with truth, of a truth, in good truth; as the dial to the sun, as the needle to the pole; honor bright; troth; in good sooth^†, in good earnest; unfeignedly, with no nonsense, in sooth^†, sooth to say^†, bona fide, in foro conscientiae[Lat]; without equivocation; cartes sur table, from the bottom of one's heart; by my troth &c (affirmation) 535.

Phr. di il vero a affronterai il diavolo[It]^†; Dichtung und Wahrheit[Ger]; esto quod esse videris[Lat]; magna est veritas et praevalet[Lat]; "that golden key that opes the palace of eternity" [Milton]; veritas odium parit[Lat]; veritatis simplex oratio est[Lat]; verite sans peur[Fr].

544. Falsehood edit

N. falsehood, falseness; falsity, falsification; deception &c. 545; untruth &c 546; guile; lying &c. 454; untruth &c 546; guile; lying &c. v. misrepresentation; mendacity, perjury, false swearing; forgery, invention, fabrication; subreption^†; covin^†.

perversion of truth, suppression of truth; suppressio veri[Lat]; perversion, distortion, false coloring; exaggeration &c 549; prevarication, equivocation, shuffling, fencing, evasion, fraud; suggestio falsi &c (lie) 546[Lat]; mystification &c (concealment) 528; simulation &c (imitation) 19; dissimulation, dissembling; deceit; blague^†.

sham; pretense, pretending, malingering.

lip homage, lip service; mouth honor; hollowness; mere show, mere outside; duplicity, double dealing, insincerity, hypocrisy, cant, humbug; jesuitism, jesuitry; pharisaism; Machiavelism, "organized hypocrisy"; crocodile tears, mealy-mouthedness^†, quackery; charlatanism^†, charlatanry; gammon; bun-kum^†, bumcombe, flam; bam*^†, flimflam, cajolery, flattery; Judas kiss; perfidy &c (bad faith) 940; il volto sciolto i pensieri stretti[It].

unfairness &c (dishonesty) 940; artfulness &c (cunning) 702; misstatement &c (error) 495.

V. be false &c adj., be a liar &c 548; speak falsely &c adv.; tell a lie &c. 546; lie, fib; lie like a trooper; swear false, forswear, perjure oneself, bear false witness.

misstate, misquote, miscite^†, misreport, misrepresent; belie, falsify, pervert, distort; put a false construction upon &c. (misinterpret)

prevaricate, equivocate, quibble; palter, palter to the understanding; repondre en Normand[Fr]; trim, shuffle, fence, mince the truth, beat about the bush, blow hot and cold, play fast and loose.

garble, gloss over, disguise, give a color to; give a gloss, put a gloss, put false coloring upon; color, varnish, cook, dress up, embroider; varnish right and puzzle wrong; exaggerate &c 549; blague^†.

invent, fabricate; trump up, get up; force, fake, hatch, concoct; romance &c (imagine) 515; cry "wolf!'

dissemble, dissimulate; feign, assume, put on, pretend, make believe; play possum; play false, play a double game; coquet; act a part, play a part; affect &c. 855; simulate, pass off for; counterfeit, sham, make a show of; malinger; say the grapes are sour.

cant, play the hypocrite, sham Abraham, faire pattes de velours, put on the mask, clean the outside of the platter, lie like a conjuror; hand out false colors, hold out false colors, sail under false colors; "commend the poisoned chalice to the lips" [Macbeth]; ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces [Lat]; deceive &c 545.

Adj. false, deceitful, mendacious, unveracious, fraudulent, dishonest, faithless, truthless, trothless; unfair, uncandid; hollow-hearted; evasive; uningenuous, disingenuous; hollow, sincere, Parthis mendacior; forsworn.

artificial, contrived; canting; hypocritical, jesuitical, pharisaical; tartuffish; Machiavelian; double, double tongued, double faced, double handed, double minded, double hearted, double dealing; Janus faced; smooth- faced, smooth spoken, smooth tongued; plausible; mealy-mouthed; affected &c 855.

collusive, collusory; artful &c. (cunning) 702; perfidious &c 940; spurious &c (deceptive) 545; untrue &c 546; falsified &c v.; covinous.

Adv. falsely &c adj.; a la tartufe, with a double tongue; silly &c (cunning) 702.

Phr. blandae mendacia lingua[Lat]; falsus in uno falsus in omnibus[Lat]; "I give him joy that's awkward at a lie" [Young]; la mentira tiene las piernas cortas [Sp]; "O what a goodly outside falsehood hath" [Merchant of Venice].

545. Deception edit

N. deception; falseness &c 544; untruth &c 546; imposition, imposture; fraud, deceit, guile; fraudulence, fraudulency^†; covin^†; knavery &c. (cunning) 702; misrepresentation &c (falsehood) 544; bluff; straw-bail, straw bid [U.S.]; spoof*.

delusion, gullery^†; juggling, jugglery^†; slight of hand, legerdemain; prestigiation|, prestidigitation; magic &c 992; conjuring, conjuration; hocus-pocus, escamoterie^†, jockeyship^†; trickery, coggery|, chicanery; supercherie^†, cozenage^†, circumvention, ingannation|, collusion; treachery &c 940; practical joke.

trick, cheat, wile, blind, feint, plant, bubble, fetch, catch, chicane, juggle, reach, hocus, bite; card sharping, stacked deck, loaded dice, quick shuffle, double dealing, dealing seconds, dealing from the bottom of the deck; artful dodge, swindle; tricks upon travelers; stratagem &c (artifice) 702; confidence trick, fake, hoax; theft &c. 791; ballot-box stuffing barney*^†[U.S.], brace* game, bunko game, drop* game, gum* game, panel game[U.S.]; shell game, thimblerig; skin* game [U.S.].

snare, trap, pitfall, decoy, gin; springe^†, springle|; noose, hoot; bait, decoy-duck, tub to the whale, baited trap, guet-a-pens; cobweb, net, meshes, toils, mouse trap, birdlime; dionaea^†, Venus's flytrap^†; ambush &c 530; trapdoor, sliding panel, false bottom; spring-net, spring net, spring gun, mask, masked battery; mine; flytrap^†; green goods [U.S.]; panel house.

Cornish hug; wolf in sheep's clothing &c (deceiver) 548; disguise, disguisement^†; false colors, masquerade, mummery, borrowed plumes; pattes de velours[Fr].

mockery &c (imitation) 19; copy &c 21; counterfeit, sham, make- believe, forgery, fraud; lie &c 546; "a delusion a mockery and a snare" [Denman], hollow mockery.

whited sepulcher, painted sepulcher; tinsel; paste, junk jewelry, costume jewelry, false jewelry, synthetic jewels; scagliola^†, ormolu, German silver, albata^†, paktong^†, white metal, Britannia metal, paint; veneer; jerry building; man of straw.

illusion &c (error) 495; ignis fatuus &c 423[Lat]; mirage &c 443.

V. deceive, take in; defraud, cheat, jockey, do, cozen, diddle, nab, chouse, play one false, bilk, cully^†, jilt, bite, pluck, swindle, victimize; abuse; mystify; blind one's eyes; blindfold, hoodwink; throw dust into the eyes; dupe, gull, hoax, fool, befool^†, bamboozle, flimflam, hornswoggle; trick.

impose upon, practice upon, play upon, put upon, palm off on, palm upon, foist upon; snatch a verdict; bluff off, bluff; bunko, four flush*, gum* [U.S.], spoof*, stuff (a ballot box) [U.S.].

circumvent, overreach; outreach, out wit, out maneuver; steal a march upon, give the go-by, to leave in the lurch

decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle; entrap, intrap^†, ensnare; nick, springe^†; set a trap, lay a trap, lay a snare for; bait the hook, forelay^†, spread the toils, lime; trapan^†, trepan; kidnap; let in, hook in; nousle^†, nousel^†; blind a trail; enmesh, immesh^†; shanghai; catch, catch in a trap; sniggle, entangle, illaqueate^†, hocus, escamoter^†, practice on one's credulity; hum, humbug; gammon, stuff up*, sell; play a trick upon one, play a practical joke upon one, put something over on one, put one over on; balk, trip up, throw a tub to a whale; fool to the top of one's bent, send on a fool's errand; make game, make a fool of, make an April fool of^†, make an ass of; trifle with, cajole, flatter; come over &c. (influence) 615; gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon; dissemble &c 544.

cog, cog the dice, load the dice, stack the deck; live by one's wits, play at hide and seek; obtain money under false pretenses &c (steal) 791; conjure, juggle, practice chicanery; deacon [U.S.].

play off, palm off, foist off, fob- off.

lie &c 544; misinform &c 538; mislead &c (error) 495; betray &c 940; be deceived &c 547.

Adj. deceived &c v.; deceiving &c; cunning &c 702; prestigious|, prestigiatory|; deceptive, deceptious^†; deceitful, covinous^†; delusive, delusory; illusive, illusory; elusive, insidious, ad captandum vulgus[Lat].

untrue &c 546; mock, sham, make-believe, counterfeit, snide*, pseudo, spurious, supposititious, so-called, pretended, feigned, trumped up, bogus, scamped, fraudulent, tricky, factitious;bastard; surreptitious, illegitimate, contraband, adulterated, sophisticated; unsound, rotten at the core; colorable; disguised; meretricious, tinsel, pinchbeck, plated; catchpenny; Brummagem.

artificial, synthetic, ersatz[&German]; simulated &c 544.

Adv. under false colors, under the garb of, under cover of; over the left.

Phr. "keep the word of promise to the ear and break it to the hope" [Macbeth]; fronti nulla fides[Lat]; "ah that deceit should steal such gentle shapes" [Richard III]; "a quicksand of deceit" [Henry VI]; decipimur specie recti [Lat][Horace]; falsi crimen[Lat]; fraus est celare fraudem[Lat]; lupus in fabula[Lat]; "so smooth, he daubed his vice with show of virtue" [Richard III].

546. Untruth edit

N. untruth, falsehood, lie, story, thing that is not, fib, bounce, crammer, taradiddle^†, whopper; jhuth^†.

forgery, fabrication, invention; misstatement, misrepresentation; perversion, falsification, gloss, suggestio falsi[Lat]; exaggeration &c 549.

invention, fabrication, fiction; fable, nursery tale; romance &c (imagination) 515; absurd story, untrue story, false story, trumped up story, trumped up statement; thing devised by the enemy; canard; shave, sell, hum, traveler;s tale, Canterbury tale, cock and bull story, fairy tale, fake; claptrap.

press agent's yarn; puff, puffery (exaggeration) 549.

myth, moonshine, bosh, all my eye and Betty Martin, mare's nest, farce.

irony; half truth, white lie, pious fraud; mental reservation &c (concealment) 528.

pretense, pretext; false plea &c 617; subterfuge, evasion, shift, shuffle, make-believe; sham &c (deception) 545.

profession, empty words; Judas kiss &c (hypocrisy) 544; disguise &c (mask) 530.

V. have a false meaning.

Adj. untrue, false, phony, trumped up; void of foundation, without- foundation; fictive, far from the truth, false as dicer's oaths; unfounded, ben trovato[It], invented, fabulous, fabricated, forged; fictitious, factitious, supposititious, surreptitious; elusory^†, illusory; ironical; soi-disant &c (misnamed) 565[Fr].

Phr. se non e vero e ben trovato[It]; "where none is meant that meets the ear"[Milton].

547. Dupe edit

N. dupe, gull, gudgeon, gobemouche^†, cull*, cully^†, victim, pigeon, April fool^†; jay*, sucker*; laughingstock &c 857; Cyclops, simple Simon, flat; greenhorn; fool &c 501; puppet, cat's paw.

V. be deceived &c 545, be the dupe of; fall into a trap; swallow the bait, nibble at the bait; bite, catch a Tartar.

Adj. credulous &c 486; mistaken &c. (error) 495.

548. Deceiver edit

N. deceiver &c (deceive &c 545); dissembler, hypocrite; sophist, Pharisee, Jesuit, Mawworm^†, Pecksniff, Joseph Surface, Tartufe^†, Janus; serpent, snake in the grass, cockatrice, Judas, wolf in sheep's clothing; jilt; shuffler|!, stool pigeon.

liar &c (lie &c 544); story-teller, perjurer, false witness, menteur a triple etage[Fr], Scapin^†; bunko steerer* [U.S.], carpetbagger* [U.S.], capper* [U.S.], faker, fraud, four flusher*, horse coper^†, ringer*, spieler^†, straw bidder [U.S.].

imposter, pretender, soi-disant[Fr], humbug; adventurer; Cagliostro, Fernam Mendez Pinto; ass in lion's skin &c (bungler) 701; actor &c (stage player) 599.

quack, charlatan, mountebank, saltimbanco^†, saltimbanque^†, empiric, quacksalver, medicaster^†, Rosicrucian, gypsy; man of straw.

conjuror, juggler, trickster, prestidigitator, jockey; crimp, decoy, decoy duck; rogue, knave, cheat; swindler &c (thief) 792; jobber.

Phr. "saint abroad and a devil at home" [Bunyan].

549. Exaggeration edit

N. exaggeration,; expansion &c 194; hyperbole, stretch, strain, coloring; high coloring, caricature, caricatura^†; extravagance &c. (nonsense) 497; Baron Munchausen; men in buckram, yarn, fringe, embroidery, traveler's tale; fish story, gooseberry*

storm in a teacup; much ado about nothing &c (overestimation) 482; puff, puffery &c (boasting) 884; rant &c (turgescence) 577^†.

figure of speech, facon de parler[Fr]; stretch of fancy, stretch of the imagination; flight of fancy &c (imagination) 515.

false coloring &c (falsehood) 544; aggravation &c. 835.

V. exaggerate, magnify, pile up, aggravate; amplify &c (expand) 194; overestimate &c 482; hyperbolize; overcharge, overstate, overdraw, overlay, overshoot the mark, overpraise; make over much, over the most of; strain, strain over a point; stretch, stretch a point; go great lengths; spin a long yarn; draw with a longbow, shoot with a longbow; deal in the marvelous.

out-Herod Herod, run riot, talk at random.

heighten, overcolor^†; color highly, color too highly; broder^†; flourish; color &c. (misrepresent) 544; puff &c (boast) 884.

Adj. exaggerated &c. v.; overwrought; bombastic &c. (grandiloquent) 577; hyperbolical^†, on stilts; fabulous, extravagant, preposterous, egregious, outre[Fr], highflying^†.

Adv. hyperbolically &c adj.

Phr. excitabat enim fluctus in simpulo [Lat][Cicero].

Section III. Means of Communicating Ideas edit

1. Natural Means edit

550. Indication edit

N. indication; symbolism, symbolization; semiology, semiotics, semeiology^†, semeiotics^†; Zeitgeist.

[means of recognition: property] characteristic, diagnostic; lineament, feature, trait; fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint [for animals]; cloven hoof; footfall; recognition (memory) 505.

[means of recognition: tool] diagnostic, divining rod; detector.

sign, symbol; index, indice|, indicator; point, pointer; exponent, note, token, symptom; dollar sign, dollar mark.

type, figure, emblem, cipher, device; representation &c. 554; epigraph, motto, posy.

gesture, gesticulation; pantomime; wink, glance, leer; nod, shrug, beck; touch, nudge; dactylology^†, dactylonomy^†; freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology[Med], byplay, dumb show; cue; hint &c. 527; clue, clew, key, scent.

signal, signal post; rocket, blue light; watch fire, watch tower; telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff; cresset^†, fiery cross; calumet; heliograph; guidon; headlight.

[sign (evidence) on physobj of contact with another physobj] mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick.

print; imprint, impress, impression.

[symbols accompanying written text to signify modified interpretation] keyboard symbols, printing symbols; red letter[for emphasis], italics, sublineation^†, underlining, bold font; jotting; note, annotation, reference; blaze, cedilla, guillemets^†, hachure[Topography], ; quotation marks, double quotes,"", parentheses, brackets, braces, curly brackets, arrows, slashes; left parenthesis[list], "("; right parenthesis, ")"; opening bracket, "["; closing bracket, "]"; left curly brace, "{"; right curly brace, "}"; left arrow, "<"; right arrow, ">"; forward slash, "/"; backward slash, "\"; exclamation point, "!"; commercial at, "@"; pound sign, "#"; percent sign, "%"; carat, "^"; ampersand, "&"; asterisk, "*"; hyphen, "-"; dash, "-", "_"; em dash, "--"; plus sign, "+", equals sign, "="; question mark, "?"; period, "."; semicolon, ";", colon, ":"; comma, ","; apostrophe, "'"; single quote, "'"; tilde, "~".

[For identification: general] badge, criterion; countercheck^†, countermark^†, countersign, counterfoil; duplicate, tally; label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop; dib^†; totem; tessera^†, card, bill; witness, voucher; stamp; cacher[Fr]; trade mark, Hall mark.

[For identification of people, on a document] signature, mark, autograph, autography; attestation; hand, hand writing, sign manual; cipher; seal, sigil[Lat], signet, hand and seal [Law]; paraph^†, brand; superscription; indorsement^†, endorsement.

[For identification of people, to gain access to restricted (locations or information)] password, watchword, catchword; security card, pass, passkey; credentials &c. (evidence) 467; open sesame; timbrology^†; mot de passe[Fr], mot du guet[Fr]; pass-parole; shibboleth.

title, heading, docket.

address card, visiting card; carte de visite[Fr].

insignia; banner, banneret^†, bannerol^†; bandrol^†; flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum^†, oriflamb^†, oriflamme; figurehead; ensign; pennon, pennant, pendant; burgee^†, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack; banderole, " old glory " [U.S.], quarantine flag; vexillum^†; yellow-flag, yellow jack; tricolor, stars and stripes; bunting.

heraldry, crest; coat of arms, arms; armorial bearings, hatchment^†; escutcheon, scutcheon; shield, supporters; livery, uniform; cockade, epaulet, chevron; garland, love knot, favor.

[Of locality] beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock; guidepost, handpost^†, fingerpost^†, directing post, signpost; pillars of Hercules, pharos; bale-fire, beacon- fire; l'etoile du Nord[Fr]; landmark, seamark; lighthouse, balize^†; polestar, loadstar^†, lodestar; cynosure, guide; address, direction, name; sign, signboard.

[Of the future] warning &c. 668; omen &c. 512; prefigurement &c. 511. trace[Of the past], record &c. 551. warning &c. 668[Of danger]; alarm &c. 669. scepter &c. 747[Of authority]. trophy &c. 733[Of triumph]. gauge &c. 466[Of quantity]. milestone[Of distance], milepost. brand[Of disgrace], fool's cap. check[For detection], telltale; test &c. (experiment) 463; mileage ticket; milliary^†.