Part 106

A*drift" (&?;), adv. & a. [Pref. a- (for on) + drift.] Floating at random; in a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves. Also fig.

So on the sea shall be set adrift. Dryden.

Were from their daily labor turned adrift. Wordsworth.

A*drip" (&?;), adv. & a. [Pref. a- in + drip.] In a dripping state; as, leaves all adrip. D. G. Mitchell.

Ad"ro*gate (&?;), v. t. [See Arrogate.] (Rom. Law) To adopt (a person who is his own master).

Ad`ro*ga"tion (&?;), n. [L. adrogatio, arrogatio, fr. adrogare. See Arrogate.] (Rom. Law) A kind of adoption in ancient Rome. See Arrogation.

A*droit" (&?;), a. [F. adroit; à (L. ad) = droit straight, right, fr. L. directus, p. p. of dirigere. See Direct.] Dexterous in the use of the hands or in the exercise of the mental faculties; exhibiting skill and readiness in avoiding danger or escaping difficulty; ready in invention or execution; -- applied to persons and to acts; as, an adroit mechanic, an adroit reply. "Adroit in the application of the telescope and quadrant." Horsley. "He was adroit in intrigue." Macaulay.

Syn. -- Dexterous; skillful; expert; ready; clever; deft; ingenious; cunning; ready-witted.

A*droit"ly, adv. In an adroit manner.

A*droit"ness, n. The quality of being adroit; skill and readiness; dexterity.

Adroitness was as requisite as courage. Motley.

Syn. -- See Skill.

A*dry" (&?;), a. [Pref. a- (for on) + dry.] In a dry or thirsty condition. "A man that is adry." Burton.

Ad`sci*ti"tious (&?;), a. [L. adscitus, p. p. of adsciscere, asciscere, to take knowingly; ad + sciscere to seek to know, approve, scire to know.] Supplemental; additional; adventitious; ascititious. "Adscititious evidence." Bowring. -- Ad`sci*ti"tious*ly, adv.

Ad"script (&?;), a. [L. adscriptus, p. p. of adscribere to enroll. See Ascribe.] Held to service as attached to the soil; -- said of feudal serfs.

Ad"script (&?;), n. One held to service as attached to the glebe or estate; a feudal serf. Bancroft.

Ad*scrip"tive (&?;), a. [L. adscriptivus. See Adscript.] Attached or annexed to the glebe or estate and transferable with it. Brougham.

Ad*sig`ni*fi*ca"tion (&?;), n. Additional signification. [R.] Tooke.

Ad*sig"ni*fy (&?;), v. t. [L. adsignificare to show.] To denote additionally. [R.] Tooke.

Ad*strict" (&?;), v. t. -- Ad*stric"tion, (&?;) n. See Astrict, and Astriction.

Ad*stric"to*ry (&?;), a. See Astrictory.

Ad*strin"gent (&?;), a. See Astringent.

||Ad`u*la"ri*a (&?;), n. [From Adula, a mountain peak in Switzerland, where fine specimens are found.] (Min.) A transparent or translucent variety of common feldspar, or orthoclase, which often shows pearly opalescent reflections; -- called by lapidaries moonstone.

Ad"u*late (&?;), v. t. [L. adulatus, p. p. of adulari.] To flatter in a servile way. Byron.

Ad`u*la"tion (&?;), n. [F. adulation, fr. L. adulatio, fr. adulari, adulatum, to flatter.] Servile flattery; praise in excess, or beyond what is merited.

Think'st thou the fiery fever will go out With titles blown from adulation? Shak.

Syn. -- Sycophancy; cringing; fawning; obsequiousness; blandishment. -- Adulation, Flattery, Compliment. Men deal in compliments from a desire to please; they use flattery either from undue admiration, or a wish to gratify vanity; they practice adulation from sordid motives, and with a mingled spirit of falsehood and hypocrisy. Compliment may be a sincere expression of due respect and esteem, or it may be unmeaning; flattery is apt to become gross; adulation is always servile, and usually fulsome.

Ad"u*la`tor (&?;), n. [L., fr. adulari: cf. F. adulateur.] A servile or hypocritical flatterer. Carlyle.