Su per fi'cial, (su per fish al,) a. being on the surface. The knife scarcely cut the skin; it was only a superficial wound. not deep or thorough, slight. He has read a little here and a little there in many books, and can tell you something about them all; but he has not studied them with attention, and his knowledge is very superficial. Su per flu ous, a. more than enough, not needed. The day is so warm, that a fire in the stove is superfluous. She was dressed with great neatness, and showed her good taste in avoiding all superfluous ornaments. The general who commanded the army did not perform his duty well, and another was sent to supersede him. Su per struct ure, n. that which is built on something else. They have finished the foundation, and are just beginning the superstructure of the Statehouse. Sup plănt, v. a. to get one out of his place by stratagem. Jacob supplanted Esau, and obtained the blessing which Isaac intended to give his brother. Sup ple ment, n. an addition to something, to supply what is wanting. A supplement to the newspaper was published, containing advertisements. Su pë ri or, a. higher in place, station, Sup pli ant, n. one who asks for merit or value. A general is superior to a colonel; a colonel, to a major; and a major, to a captain. He is a superior mechanic, and does his work so well that he never wants customers. above the influence of. Be superior to the temptations of ease and pleasure, if you wish to be either good or great. Su per nat u ral, a. beyond the powers of nature, miraculous. The swimming of the axe on the water, at the command of the prophet Elisha, was supernatural. Su per scribe, v. a. to write, or engrave, on the top or outside; as to superscribe a letter. The superscription on the coin was nearly erased. Su per sēde, v. a. for one thing to destroy the force of another, or make it useless. Steam-boats and rail-road cars have, in many places, superseded stage coaches. for one to come into the place of another who is set aside. something earnestly and humbly. Sup pli cate, v. a. to ask for something earnestly and humbly. We should daily supplicate the mercy and favor of God. Sup pōrt, v. a. to bear or hold up. to The pillars supported the roof. bear pain, or evil of any kind, without being overcome by it. His losses were severe, but he supported them with a cheerful resignation. to furnish the means of living, or of of doing a particular thing; as to support a family, to support a clerthe expenses gyman, to support the government, or of a war. Sup press, v. a. to crush, to subdue. The soldiers were ordered out to suppress the riot. to keep a thing from appearing or being known. She suppressed her grief, that she might not make her companions sad. to keep back, not to let out. The clerk suppressed an important letter which he ought to have communicated to his employer. Su prême, a. highest in authority, in dignity, or in excellence. God is the Supreme Governor of all beings and things. above all. The miser makes money the supreme object of his affections. Sur face, n. the outside of a thing. The surface of the ice was as smooth as glass. Sŭr feit, n. eating or drinking to ex cess, so as to cause great uneasiness or sickness. Sur mişe, v. a. to think that a thing is or may be, without any certain knowledge. The captain surmised the danger for some time before the ship struck the rock. Sur mount', v. a. to rise above. The balloon in its flight soon surmounted the clouds. to overcome. the ocean, to see if he could discover any vessel. to examine. He surveyed every part of the house, to ascertain whether it was well built. to measure land and determine the quantity. They surveyed the field, and found it contained fifty acres. Sur vive, v. a. for one to continue to live after another who has lived at the same time with him, dies. He survived his wife four years. to continue to live after some event which has happened since a person was born. Noah survived the deluge 350 years. Sus cep ti ble, a. capable of receiving or admitting. The melted wax is susceptible of an im pression from the seal. Some children appear to be susceptible of instruction at an earlier age than others. tender in feeling, easily affected. When young he was very susceptible both to commendation and reproof; but he has become so hardened in crime that he seems now to care for neither. Sus pěct, v. a. to think or fear, with little or no evidence, that something exists or may happen. The traveller said, he suspected there might be some danger in passing through the wood, as a late robbery had been committed there. to think, without proof, that a person is guilty. He was suspected of having counterfeit money, and when searched a large amount was found upon him. to think a thing doubtful or uncertain. I suspected the truth of what he told me, because he took so much pains to lead me to believe it. Sus pend, v. a. to hang. The swing was suspended from the branch of a tree. to make to stop for a time. The boys suspended their game at ball till the shower was over. When, for misconduct, one is kept from enjoying some privilege, or performing the duties of some office and receiving his pay, he is said to be suspended. Sus pi' cious, (sus pish us,) a. inclined to suspect. He is deranged, and suspicious that every body who approaches him intends to do him some harm. giving cause to suspicion, liable to be suspected. His conduct is such that he is regarded as a suspicious character, although nothing criminal has yet been proved against him. Sus tain, v. a. to bear or hold up. He is a strong man, and able to sustain a very heavy weight. The hope that he would yet be able to pay his debts, sustained him in the midst of his pecuniary difficulties. to keep alive. He was lost in the woods, and for several days had to sustain himself on berries. to bear pain, or evil of any kind, without being overcome by it. He was confined to his house by sickness The olive-branch is a symbol of peace. ment. for three years, and sustained it with great Sym me try, n. proportion, or the fortitude. Sus te nance, n. supply of the means fitness of the different parts of a thing to each other, and of each to the whole. The child has a beautiful symmetry of features. Its forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks,' mouth and chin, are just what they should be to make the whole countenance very expressive and interesting. Sym' pa thīze, v. n. for one to feel as another does, in consequence of knowing how the other feels. He visited the family the day after the fu- | Tac' it, (tǎs it,) a. expressing by sineral, to sympathize with them in their be reavement. A man who has no sympathy for others, must expect none from them. to have like feelings. Their dispositions, tastes, and favorite pursuits were similar, and they seemed to sympathize in almost every thing. Symp tom, n. something that points out what another thing is which it accompanies, or with which it is connected. The physician thinks that his hard cough is a symptom of disease in his lungs. His borrowing money so often is a symptom that his affairs are getting into a bad state. Syn o nym, n. a word which has the same signification with another word. Crabb has written a large work on English synonyms. Words are often used as synonymous which are really not so. Sys tem, n. a combination of many things, so arranged and connected that they agree with each other and with the whole. T. Tab lence, implied. The chairman of the meeting said that if no objections were made to publishing the Report, he should consider them as giving their tacit consent. Tac' i turn, (tas i turn,) a. not fond of talking, habitually silent. He was so taciturn, that during the whole day's ride he said nothing except to ask where they should stop to dine. Tăct, n. a nice discernment of the best time and manner of doing something, and being expert in doing it. He has such a tact in getting subscriptions to charitable objects, that he obtained one hundred dollars from the greatest miser in the town. Tăl ent, n. an ancient weight or coin. -mental power. When a man has superior ability to excel in what he undertakes, he is called a man of talents. When he shows an ability to excel in any particular thing, he is said to have a talent for that thing. Tăl ly, v. n. for one thing to fit or correspond with another. The account which he gives of the matter to-day, does not tally with that which he gave yesterday. A boy was chosen on each side, to keep tally for those who were playing at ball. Tăm per, v. n. to meddle or be busy with, to little or no purpose. He has been taking one kind of dose and another, without consulting a physician, and tampering so long with his disease, that his friends fear that it can never be cured. short time. the Jewish place of to deal with secretly. He was detected in tampering with one of the jury, to try to get the prisoner acquitted. Tăn gi ble, a. that which can be perceived by the touch. Light is not tangible. say We that a thing is tangible, when it is so plain as to be easily apprehended by the mind. Tăn' ta līze, v. a. to torment, by showing some good which is kept out of reach, and exciting the desire of it. After a dead calm of several days, they were tantalized with a breeze which just filled the sails, and then died away. Täste, n. niceness and accuracy in perceiving, relishing, and judging of the beauties of nature and art. The house, and every thing in and around it, showed that the owner, though not rich, was a man of taste. Taunt, v. a. to reproach, or ridicule, in an insulting manner. He was an industrious and worthy young man, and it was cruel to taunt him with the crimes of his father. Taw dry, a. showy, but not elegant, and costing but little. The Indian woman wore some tawdry glass beads around her neck. Tăx, v. a. to determine by authority how much a citizen shall pay as his part of the public expenses.to load as with a burden. He came so often and staid so long, that he taxed my patience exceedingly. to accuse or censure. They taxed him with great imprudence in going in to bathe when he was so excessively heated. Těch ni cal, a: relating to some particular art, business, or profession. We had a tedious walk through the drifted snow. Before he finished his long and tedious ad dress, many of the hearers became quite in attentive. Tēēm, v. n. to bring forth, to abound. His garden teems with vegetables of all kinds. The mind of the speculator teemed with schemes for making money. Tel e graph, n. an instrument, or ma chine, for conveying intelligence to a distance by signals. Těm per, v. a. to mix things together, so that one part may abate the force or severity of the other. He tempered the hot water by pouring into it a small quantity of cold water. A kind Providence tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. The father tempered the reproof which he gave his son with some commendation. Iron or steel is said to be tempered when it is made of a proper hardness by heat. Těm per, n. that state which arises from a mixture of different qualities. The temper of the putty was just as it should be; it was neither too hard nor too soft. disposition of mind. The infant is almost always smiling and playful. It has a sweet temper. heat of feeling. The boy showed a good deal of temper, when the master, on account of his misconduct, would not let him go out to play with the other boys. By the temper of a metal, we mean its degree of hardness or softness. A sailor uses many technical words and Tem per a ment, n. that state which phrases, which those who have not been to sea cannot understand. Tē di ous, a. so slow or particular as to be tiresome. arises from such a mixture of different qualities that one has more force than the rest. |