Part 59

Ac*cuse" (&?;), n. Accusation. [Obs.] Shak.

Ac*cuse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accused (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Accusing.] [OF. acuser, F. accuser, L. accusare, to call to account, accuse; ad + causa cause, lawsuit. Cf. Cause.] 1. To charge with, or declare to have committed, a crime or offense; (Law) to charge with an offense, judicially or by a public process; -- with of; as, to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor.

Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. Acts xxiv. 13.

We are accused of having persuaded Austria and Sardinia to lay down their arms. Macaulay.

2. To charge with a fault; to blame; to censure.

Their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. Rom. ii. 15.

3. To betray; to show. [L.] Sir P. Sidney.

Syn. -- To charge; blame; censure; reproach; criminate; indict; impeach; arraign. -- To Accuse, Charge, Impeach, Arraign. These words agree in bringing home to a person the imputation of wrongdoing. To accuse is a somewhat formal act, and is applied usually (though not exclusively) to crimes; as, to accuse of treason. Charge is the most generic. It may refer to a crime, a dereliction of duty, a fault, etc.; more commonly it refers to moral delinquencies; as, to charge with dishonesty or falsehood. To arraign is to bring (a person) before a tribunal for trial; as, to arraign one before a court or at the bar public opinion. To impeach is officially to charge with misbehavior in office; as, to impeach a minister of high crimes. Both impeach and arraign convey the idea of peculiar dignity or impressiveness.

Ac*cused" (&?;), a. Charged with offense; as, an accused person.

Commonly used substantively; as, the accused, one charged with an offense; the defendant in a criminal case.

Ac*cuse"ment (-kz"ment), n. [OF. acusement. See Accuse.] Accusation. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ac*cus"er (&?;), n. [OE. acuser, accusour; cf. OF. acuseor, fr. L. accusator, fr. accusare.] One who accuses; one who brings a charge of crime or fault.

Ac*cus"ing*ly, adv. In an accusing manner.

Ac*cus"tom (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accustomed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Accustoming.] [OF. acostumer, acustumer, F. accoutumer; à (L. ad) + OF. costume, F. coutume, custom. See Custom.] To make familiar by use; to habituate, familiarize, or inure; -- with to.

I shall always fear that he who accustoms himself to fraud in little things, wants only opportunity to practice it in greater. Adventurer.

Syn. -- To habituate; inure; exercise; train.

Ac*cus"tom, v. i. 1. To be wont. [Obs.] Carew.

2. To cohabit. [Obs.]

We with the best men accustom openly; you with the basest commit private adulteries. Milton.

Ac*cus"tom, n. Custom. [Obs.] Milton.

Ac*cus"tom*a*ble (&?;), a. Habitual; customary; wonted. "Accustomable goodness." Latimer.

Ac*cus"tom*a*bly, adv. According to custom; ordinarily; customarily. Latimer.

Ac*cus"tom*ance (&?;), n. [OF. accoustumance, F. accoutumance.] Custom; habitual use. [Obs.] Boyle.

Ac*cus"tom*a*ri*ly (&?;), adv. Customarily. [Obs.]

Ac*cus"tom*a*ry (&?;), a. Usual; customary. [Archaic] Featley.

Ac*cus"tomed (&?;), a. 1. Familiar through use; usual; customary. "An accustomed action." Shak.

2. Frequented by customers. [Obs.] "A well accustomed shop." Smollett.

Ac*cus"tomed*ness, n. Habituation.