Part 182

2. To treat as allegorical; to understand in an allegorical sense; as, when a passage in a writer may understood literally or figuratively, he who gives it a figurative sense is said to allegorize it.

Al"le*go*rize, v. t. To use allegory. Holland.

Al"le*go*ri`zer (&?;), n. One who allegorizes, or turns things into allegory; an allegorist.

Al"le*go*ry (&?;), n.; pl. Allegories (&?;). [L. allegoria, Gr. &?;, description of one thing under the image of another; &?; other + &?; to speak in the assembly, harangue, &?; place of assembly, fr. &?; to assemble: cf. F. allégorie.] 1. A figurative sentence or discourse, in which the principal subject is described by another subject resembling it in its properties and circumstances. The real subject is thus kept out of view, and we are left to collect the intentions of the writer or speaker by the resemblance of the secondary to the primary subject.

2. Anything which represents by suggestive resemblance; an emblem.

3. (Paint. & Sculpt.) A figure representation which has a meaning beyond notion directly conveyed by the object painted or sculptured.

Syn. -- Metaphor; fable. -- Allegory, Parable. "An allegory differs both from fable and parable, in that the properties of persons are fictitiously represented as attached to things, to which they are as it were transferred. . . . A figure of Peace and Victory crowning some historical personage is an allegory. "I am the Vine, ye are the branches" [John xv. 1-6] is a spoken allegory. In the parable there is no transference of properties. The parable of the sower [Matt. xiii. 3-23] represents all things as according to their proper nature. In the allegory quoted above the properties of the vine and the relation of the branches are transferred to the person of Christ and His apostles and disciples." C. J. Smith.

An allegory is a prolonged metaphor. Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" and Spenser's "Faërie Queene" are celebrated examples of the allegory.

||Al`le`gresse" (&?;), n. [F. allégresse, fr. L. alacer sprightly.] Joy; gladsomeness.

||Al`le*gret"to (&?;), a. [It., dim. of allegro.] (Mus.) Quicker than andante, but not so quick as allegro. -- n. A movement in this time.

||Al*le"gro (&?;), a. [It., merry, gay, fr. L. alacer lively. Cf. Aleger.] (Mus.) Brisk, lively. -- n. An allegro movement; a quick, sprightly strain or piece.

{ Al`le*lu"ia, Al`le*lu"iah } (&?;), n. [L. alleluia, Gr. &?;, fr. Heb. halll-yh. See Hallelujah.] An exclamation signifying Praise ye Jehovah. Hence: A song of praise to God. See Hallelujah, the commoner form.

I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia. Rev. xix. 1.

||Al"le*mande" (&?;), n. [F., fr. allemand German.] 1. (Mus.) A dance in moderate twofold time, invented by the French in the reign of Louis XIV.; - - now mostly found in suites of pieces, like those of Bach and Handel.

2. A figure in dancing.

Al`le*man"nic (&?;), a. See Alemannic.

Al*len"ar*ly (&?;), adv. [All + anerly singly, fr. ane one.] Solely; only. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Al"ler (&?;), a. [For ealra, the AS. gen. pl. of eal all.] Same as Alder, of all. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Al*le"ri*on (&?;), n. [F. alérion, LL. alario a sort of eagle; of uncertain origin.] (Her.) Am eagle without beak or feet, with expanded wings. Burke.

Al*le"vi*ate (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alleviated; p. pr. & vb. n. Alleviating.] [LL. alleviare, fr. L. ad + levis light. See Alegge, Levity.] 1. To lighten or lessen the force or weight of. [Obs.]

Should no others join capable to alleviate the expense. Evelyn.

Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the alleviating of the body [of flying birds]. Ray.

2. To lighten or lessen (physical or mental troubles); to mitigate, or make easier to be endured; as, to alleviate sorrow, pain, care, etc. ; -- opposed to aggravate.

The calamity of the want of the sense of hearing is much alleviated by giving the use of letters. Bp. Horsley.

3. To extenuate; to palliate. [R.]

He alleviates his fault by an excuse. Johnson.

Syn. -- To lessen; diminish; soften; mitigate; assuage; abate; relieve; nullify; allay. -- To Alleviate, Mitigate, Assuage, Allay. These words have in common the idea of relief from some painful state; and being all figurative, they differ in their application, according to the image under which this idea is presented. Alleviate supposes a load which is lightened or taken off; as, to alleviate one's cares. Mitigate supposes something fierce which is made mild; as, to mitigate one's anguish. Assuage supposes something violent which is quieted; as, to assuage one's sorrow. Allay supposes something previously excited, but now brought down; as, to allay one's suffering or one's thirst. To alleviate the distresses of life; to mitigate the fierceness of passion or the violence of grief; to assuage angry feeling; to allay wounded sensibility.

Al*le`vi*a"tion (&?;), n. [LL. alleviatio.] 1. The act of alleviating; a lightening of weight or severity; mitigation; relief.