EQUERRY, ek'we-ri, _n._ in the royal household, an official under the Master of the Horse, whose main duty is to accompany the sovereign when riding in state. [Fr. _ecurie_--Low L. _scuria_, a stable--Old High Ger.
_scur_ (Ger. _scheuer_), a shed.]
EQUESTRIAN, e-kwes'tri-an, _adj._ pertaining to horses or horsemanship: on horseback.--_n._ one who rides on horseback:--_fem._ EQUESTRIENNE'.--_n._ EQUES'TRIANISM, horsemanship. [L. _equester_, _equestris_--_eques_, a horseman--_equus_, a horse.]
EQUI-, [=e]'kwi, a prefix meaning equal, from L. _aequus_.--_adj._ EQUIAN'GULAR, consisting of or having equal angles.--_n._ EQUIBAL'ANCE, equal weight.--_adjs._ EQUIDIFF'ERENT, having equal differences; EQUIDIS'TANT, equally distant.--_adv._ EQUIDIS'TANTLY.--_adj._ EQUILAT'ERAL, having all sides equal.--_v.t._ EQUIL[=I]'BR[=A]TE, to balance: to counterpoise.--_ns._ EQUILIBR[=A]'TION; EQUILIB'RITY, EQUILIB'RIUM, equal balancing: equality of weight or force: level position; EQUIMUL'TIPLE, a number multiplied by the same number as another.--_adj._ EQUIP[=E]'DAL, equal-footed.--_ns._ EQUIPEN'DENCY, act of hanging in equipoise; E'QUIPOISE, equality of weight or force: the state of a balance when the two weights are equal.--_v.t._ to counterbalance.--_n._ EQUIS[=O]'NANCE, the consonance which exists between octaves.--_adj._ E'QUIVALVE, having valves equal in size or form.
EQUINE, [=e]'kw[=i]n, EQUINAL, [=e]-kw[=i]n'al, _adj._ pertaining to a horse or horses.--_n._ EQUIN'IA, horse-pox, glanders, farcy. [L.
_equinus_--_equus_, a horse.]
EQUINOX, [=e]'kwi-noks, _n._ the time when the sun crosses the equator, making the night equal in length to the day, about 21st March and 23d Sept.--_adj._ EQUINOC'TIAL, pertaining to the equinoxes, the time of the equinoxes, or to the regions about the equator.--_n._ a great circle in the heavens corresponding to the equator of the earth.--_adv._ EQUINOC'TIALLY, in the direction of the equinox.--EQUINOCTIAL GALES, high gales popularly supposed to prevail about the times of the equinoxes--the belief is unsupported by observation. [L. _aequus_, equal, _nox_, _noctis_, night.]
EQUIP, e-kwip', _v.t._ to fit out: to furnish with everything needed for any service or work:--_pr.p._ equip'ping; _pa.p._ equipped'.--_n._ E'QUIP[=A]GE, that with which one is equipped: furniture required for any service, as that of a soldier, &c.: a carriage and attendants, retinue.--_v.t._ (_obs._) to furnish with an equipage.--_n._ EQUIP'MENT, the act of equipping: the state of being equipped: things used in equipping or furnishing: outfit. [Fr. _equiper_, prob. Ice. _skipa_, to set in order, _skip_, a ship.]
EQUIPOLLENT, e-kwi-pol'ent, _adj._ having equal power or force: equivalent.--_n._ an equivalent.--_ns._ EQUIPOLL'ENCE, EQUIPOLL'ENCY. [L.
_aequus_, equal, _pollens_, _pollentis_, pr.p. of _poll[=e]re_, to be able.]
EQUIPONDERATE, [=e]-kwi-pon'd[.e]r-[=a]t, _v.i._ to be equal in weight: to balance.--_adj._ equal in weight.--_n._ EQUIPON'DERANCE.--_adj._ EQUIPON'DERANT. [L. _aequus_, equal, _pondus_, _ponderis_, weight.]
EQUISETUM, ek-wi-s[=e]'tum, _n._ a genus of herbaceous plants having leafless articulated and whorled stems and branches--also _Horse-tail_.--_adjs._ EQUISET[=A]'CEOUS; EQUISET'IC; EQUISET'IFORM.
[L.,--_equus_, a horse, _seta_, a bristle.]
EQUITATION, ek-wi-t[=a]'shun, _n._ the art of riding on horseback.--_adjs._ EQ'UITANT, riding: straddling, overlapping; EQUIV'OROUS, eating horse-flesh. [L.,--_equit[=a]re_--_equus_, a horse.]
EQUITY, ek'wi-ti, _n._ right as founded on the laws of nature: moral justice, of which laws are the imperfect expression: the spirit of justice which enables us to interpret laws rightly: fairness.--_adj._ EQ'UITABLE, possessing or showing equity: held or exercised in equity.--_n._ EQ'UITABLENESS.--_adv._ EQ'UITABLY. [Fr. _equite_--L. _aequitas_--_aequus_, equal.]
EQUIVALENT, e-kwiv'a-lent, _adj._ equal in value, power, meaning, &c.--_n._ a thing equivalent.--_n._ EQUIV'ALENCE.--_adv._ EQUIV'ALENTLY. [Fr.,--L.
_aequus_, equal, _valens_, _valentis_, pr.p. of _val[=e]re_, to be worth.]
EQUIVOCAL, e-kwiv'[=o]-kal, _adj._ capable of meaning two or more things: of doubtful meaning: capable of a double explanation: suspicious: questionable.--_adv._ EQUIV'OCALLY.--_n._ EQUIV'OCALNESS.--_v.i._ EQUIV'OC[=A]TE, to use equivocal or doubtful words in order to mislead.--_ns._ EQUIVOC[=A]'TION, act of equivocating or using ambiguous words to mislead; EQUIV'OC[=A]TOR.--_adj._ EQUIV'OC[=A]TORY, containing or characterised by equivocation.--_ns._ E'QUIVOKE, E'QUIVOQUE, an equivocal expression: equivocation: a quibble. [L. _aequus_, equal, _vox_, _vocis_, the voice, a word.]
ERA, [=e]'ra, _n._ a series of years reckoned from a particular point, or that point itself: an important date. [Late L. _aera_, a number, orig.
'counters,' pieces of copper used in counting, being the neut.pl. of _aes_, _aeris_, copper.]
ERADIATE, e-r[=a]'di-[=a]t, _v.i._ to shoot out like a ray of light:--_pr.p._ er[=a]'diating; _pa.p._ er[=a]'diated.--_n._ ERADI[=A]'TION, the act of eradiating; emission of radiance. [L. _e_, out, _radius_, a ray.]
ERADICATE, e-rad'i-k[=a]t, _v.t._ to pull up by the roots: to destroy.--_adj._ ERAD'ICABLE, that may be eradicated.--_p.adj._ ERAD'IC[=A]TED, rooted up: (_her._) said of a tree, or part of a tree, torn up by the roots.--_n._ ERADIC[=A]'TION, the act of eradicating: state of being eradicated.--_adj._ ERAD'IC[=A]TIVE, serving to eradicate or drive thoroughly away.--_n._ ERAD'IC[=A]TOR. [L. _eradic[=a]re_, to root out--_e_, out, _radix_, _radicis_, a root.]
ERASE, e-r[=a]s', _v.t._ to rub or scrape out: to efface: to destroy.--_adj._ ER[=A]'SABLE.--_p.adj._ ERASED', rubbed out: effaced: (_her._) torn off, so as to leave jagged edges.--_ns._ ER[=A]'SER, one who, or that which, erases, as _ink-eraser_; ER[=A]'SION, ERASE'MENT, ER[=A]'SURE, the act of erasing: a rubbing out: the place where something written has been rubbed out. [L. _erad[)e]re_--_e_, out, _rad[)e]re_, _rasum_, to scrape.]
ERASTIAN, e-rast'yan, _n._ a follower of Thomas _Erastus_ (1524-83), a Swiss physician, who denied the church the right to inflict excommunication and disciplinary penalties: one who minimises the spiritual independence of the church, subordinating her jurisdiction to the state--a position not held by Erastus at all.--_adj._ relating to the Erastians or their doctrines.--_n._ ERAST'IANISM, control of church by state.
ERATO, er'a-t[=o], _n._ the Muse of lyric poetry.
ERBIUM, er'bi-um, _n._ a rare metal, the compounds of which are present in the mineral gadolinite, found at Ytterby in Sweden. [From Ytt_erby_.]
ERE, [=a]r, _adv._ before, sooner.--_prep._ before.--_conj._ sooner than.--_advs._ ERELONG', before long: soon; ERENOW', before this time; EREWHILE', formerly: some time before. [A.S. _['ae]r_; cf. Dut. _eer_.]
EREBUS, er'e-bus, _n._ (_myth._) the dark and gloomy cavern between earth and Hades: the lower world, hell. [L.,--Gr. _Erebos_.]
ERECT, e-rekt', _v.t._ to set upright: to raise: to build: to exalt: to establish.--_adj._ upright: directed upward.--_adj._ ERECT'ED.--_ns._ ERECT'ER, ERECT'OR, one who, or that which, erects or raises: a muscle which assists in erecting a part or an organ: an attachment to a compound microscope for making the image erect instead of inverted.--_adj._ ERECT'ILE, that may be erected.--_ns._ ERECTIL'ITY, quality of being erectile; EREC'TION, act of erecting: state of being erected: exaltation: anything erected: a building of any kind.--_adj._ ERECT'IVE, tending to erect.--_adv._ ERECT'LY.--_n._ ERECT'NESS. [L. _erectus_, _erig[)e]re_, to set upright--_e_, out, _reg[)e]re_, to direct.]
EREMACAUSIS, er-e-ma-kaw'sis, _n._ (_chem._) slow combustion or oxidation.
[Gr. _erema_, slowly, _kausis_--_kaiein_, to burn.]
EREMITE, er'e-m[=i]t, _n._ a recluse who lives apart, from religious motives: a hermit.--_adjs._ EREMIT'IC, -AL.--_n._ ER'EMITISM, state of being an eremite. [Late L.,--Gr. _er[=e]mos_, desert.]
ERETHISM, er'e-thizm, _n._ excitement or stimulation of any organ.--_adjs._ ERETHIS'MIC, ERETHIS'TIC, ERETHIT'IC. [Gr.]
ERF, erf, _n._ a garden-plot in South Africa. [Dut.]
ERG, erg, _n._ the unit of work in the centimetre-gramme-second system--that is, the quantity of work done by a force which, acting for one second upon a mass of one gramme, produces a velocity of one centimetre per second. [Gr. _erg-on_, work.]
ERGO, [.e]r'go, _adv._ (_logic_) therefore, used to mark the conclusion of a syllogism.--_v.i._ ER'GOTISE, to wrangle. [L. _ergo_, therefore.]
ERGOT, [.e]r'got, _n._ a disease, consisting of a parasitical fungus, found on the seed of certain plants, esp. rye and some other grasses.--_ns._ ER'GOTINE, the active principle of ergot of rye; ER'GOTISM, poisoning caused by eating bread made of rye diseased with ergot; ERGOTIS[=A]'TION.--_v.t._ ER'GOTISE. [Fr.]
ERIC, er'ik, _n._ the blood-fine paid by a murderer to his victim's family in old Irish law.--Also ER'IACH, ER'ICK.
ERICA, e-r[=i]'ka, _n._ the scientific name for heath.--_adj._ ERIC[=A]'CEOUS, belonging to plants of the genus _Erica_. [L.,--Gr.
_ereik[=e]_, heath.]
ERINGO. Same as ERYNGO.
ERINITE, er'i-n[=i]t, _n._ native arseniate of copper found in Cornwall and Ireland. [_Erin_, old name of Ireland.]
ERINYS, e-r[=i]'nis, _n._ one of the Furies:--_pl._ ERINYES (e-rin'i-[=e]z).
ERIOMETER, er-i-om'e-ter, _n._ an optical instrument for measuring small diameters of fibres, &c. [Gr. _erion_, wool, _metron_, a measure.]
ERISTIC, -AL, er-is'tik, -al, _adj._ of or pertaining to controversy. [Gr.
_erizein_, to strive--_eris_, strife.]
ERL-KING, [.e]rl'-king, _n._ for German _erl-konig_, a mistranslation (meaning 'alder-king') of the Danish _ellerkonge_ (i. e. _elverkonge_, king of the elves).
ERMELIN, [.e]r'me-lin, _n._ (_arch._) ermine.
ERMINE, [.e]r'min, _n._ a well-known carnivore belonging to the genus which includes polecat, weasel, ferret, &c.--its white fur often used as an emblem of purity: ermine fur used for the robes of judges and magistrates.--_adj._ ER'MINED, adorned with ermine. [O. Fr. _ermine_ (Fr.
_hermine_), perh. from L. (_mus_) _Armenius_, lit. mouse of Armenia, whence it was brought to Rome; but acc. to Skeat from Old High Ger. _harmin_ (Ger.
_hermelin_), ermine-fur.]
ERNE, [.e]rn, _n._ the eagle. [A.S. _earn_; cf. Ice. _orn_, Dut. _arend_.]
ERNE, [.e]rn, _v.i._ obsolete form of _earn_, to yearn.
ERODE, e-r[=o]d', _v.t._ to eat away: to wear away.--_n._ ER[=O]'DENT, a caustic drug.--_adj._ ER[=O]SE', gnawed.--_n._ ER[=O]'SION, act or state of eating or being eaten away.--_adj._ ER[=O]'SIVE, having the property of eating away. [L. _e_, out, _rod[)e]re_, _rosum_, to gnaw.]
EROSTRATE, e-ros'tr[=a]t, _adj._ (_bot._) having no beak.