Part 149

Ag*nom"i*nate (g*nm"*nt), v. t. To name. [Obs.]

Ag*nom`i*na"tion (&?;), n. [L. agnominatio. See Agnomen.] 1. A surname. [R.] Minsheu.

2. Paronomasia; also, alliteration; annomination.

Ag*nos"tic (&?;), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; knowing, &?; to know.] Professing ignorance; involving no dogmatic; pertaining to or involving agnosticism. -- Ag*nos"tic*al*ly (&?;), adv.

Ag*nos"tic, n. One who professes ignorance, or denies that we have any knowledge, save of phenomena; one who supports agnosticism, neither affirming nor denying the existence of a personal Deity, a future life, etc.

Ag*nos"ti*cism (&?;), n. That doctrine which, professing ignorance, neither asserts nor denies. Specifically: (Theol.) The doctrine that the existence of a personal Deity, an unseen world, etc., can be neither proved nor disproved, because of the necessary limits of the human mind (as sometimes charged upon Hamilton and Mansel), or because of the insufficiency of the evidence furnished by physical and physical data, to warrant a positive conclusion (as taught by the school of Herbert Spencer); -- opposed alike dogmatic skepticism and to dogmatic theism.

||Ag"nus (&?;), n.; pl. E. Agnuses (&?;); L. Agni (&?;). [L., a lamb.] Agnus Dei.

||Ag"nus cas"tus (&?;). [Gr. &?; a willowlike tree, used at a religious festival; confused with &?; holy, chaste.] (Bot.) A species of Vitex (V. agnus castus); the chaste tree. Loudon.

And wreaths of agnus castus others bore. Dryden.

||Ag"nus De"i (&?;). [L., lamb of God.] (R. C. Ch.) (a) A figure of a lamb bearing a cross or flag. (b) A cake of wax stamped with such a figure. It is made from the remains of the paschal candles and blessed by the Pope. (c) A triple prayer in the sacrifice of the Mass, beginning with the words "Agnus Dei."

A*go" (&?;), a. & adv. [OE. ago, agon, p. p. of agon to go away, pass by, AS. gn to pass away; - (cf. Goth. us- , Ger. er-, orig. meaning out) + gn to go. See Go.] Past; gone by; since; as, ten years ago; gone long ago.

A*gog" (&?;), a. & adv. [Cf. F. gogue fun, perhaps of Celtic origin.] In eager desire; eager; astir.

All agog to dash through thick and thin. Cowper.

A*go"ing (&?;), adv. [Pref. a- + p. pr. of go.] In motion; in the act of going; as, to set a mill agoing.

||Ag"on (&?;), n.; pl. Agones (&?;). [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to lead.] (Gr. Antiq.) A contest for a prize at the public games.

A*gone" (&?;), a. & adv. Ago. [Archaic> & Poet.]

Three days agone I fell sick. 1 Sam. xxx. 13.

A"gone (&?;), n. [See Agonic.] Agonic line.

A*gon"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; without angles; 'a priv. + &?; an angle.] Not forming an angle.

Agonic line (Physics), an imaginary line on the earth's surface passing through those places where the magnetic needle points to the true north; the line of no magnetic variation. There is one such line in the Western hemisphere, and another in the Eastern hemisphere.

Ag"o*nism (&?;), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to contend for a prize, fr. &?;. See Agon.] Contention for a prize; a contest. [Obs.] Blount.

Ag"o*nist (&?;), n. [Gr. &?;.] One who contends for the prize in public games. [R.]

{ Ag`o*nis"tic (&?;), Ag`o*nis"tic*al (&?;), } a. [Gr. &?;. See Agonism.] Pertaining to violent contests, bodily or mental; pertaining to athletic or polemic feats; athletic; combative; hence, strained; unnatural.

As a scholar, he [Dr. Parr] was brilliant, but he consumed his power in agonistic displays. De Quincey.

Ag`o*nis"tic*al*ly, adv. In an agonistic manner.

Ag`o*nis"tics (&?;), n. The science of athletic combats, or contests in public games.

Ag"o*nize (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Agonized (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Agonizing (&?;).] [F. agoniser, LL. agonizare, fr. Gr. &?;. See Agony.] 1. To writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish.

To smart and agonize at every pore. Pope.