Part 67

In all thy ways acknowledge Him. Prov. iii. 6.

By my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee. Shak.

3. To own with gratitude or as a benefit or an obligation; as, to acknowledge a favor, the receipt of a letter.

They his gifts acknowledged none. Milton.

4. To own as genuine; to assent to, as a legal instrument, to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form; as, to acknowledgea deed.

Syn. -- To avow; proclaim; recognize; own; admit; allow; concede; confess. -- Acknowledge, Recognize. Acknowledge is opposed to keep back, or conceal, and supposes that something had been previously known to us (though perhaps not to others) which we now feel bound to lay open or make public. Thus, a man acknowledges a secret marriage; one who has done wrong acknowledges his fault; and author acknowledges his obligation to those who have aided him; we acknowledge our ignorance. Recognize supposes that we have either forgotten or not had the evidence of a thing distinctly before our minds, but that now we know it (as it were) anew, or receive and admit in on the ground of the evidence it brings. Thus, we recognize a friend after a long absence. We recognize facts, principles, truths, etc., when their evidence is brought up fresh to the mind; as, bad men usually recognize the providence of God in seasons of danger. A foreign minister, consul, or agent, of any kind, is recognized on the ground of his producing satisfactory credentials. See also Confess.

Ac*knowl"edged*ly (&?;), adv. Confessedly.

Ac*knowl"edg*er (&?;), n. One who acknowledges.

Ac*knowl"edg*ment (-ment), n. 1. The act of acknowledging; admission; avowal; owning; confession. "An acknowledgment of fault." Froude.

2. The act of owning or recognized in a particular character or relationship; recognition as regards the existence, authority, truth, or genuineness.

Immediately upon the acknowledgment of the Christian faith, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. Hooker.

3. The owning of a benefit received; courteous recognition; expression of thanks. Shak.

4. Something given or done in return for a favor, message, etc. Smollett.

5. A declaration or avowal of one's own act, to give it legal validity; as, the acknowledgment of a deed before a proper officer. Also, the certificate of the officer attesting such declaration.

Acknowledgment money, in some parts of England, a sum paid by copyhold tenants, on the death of their landlords, as an acknowledgment of their new lords. Cowell.

Syn. -- Confession; concession; recognition; admission; avowal; recognizance.

A*clin"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; to incline.] (Physics.) Without inclination or dipping; - - said the magnetic needle balances itself horizontally, having no dip. The aclinic line is also termed the magnetic equator. Prof. August.

Ac"me (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; point, top.] 1. The top or highest point; the culmination.

The very acme and pitch of life for epic poetry. Pope.

The moment when a certain power reaches the acme of its supremacy. I. Taylor.

2. (Med.) The crisis or height of a disease.

3. Mature age; full bloom of life. B. Jonson.

Ac"ne (&?;), n. [NL., prob. a corruption of Gr. &?;] (Med.) A pustular affection of the skin, due to changes in the sebaceous glands.

Ac*no"dal (&?;), a. Pertaining to acnodes.

Ac"node (&?;), n. [L. acus needle + E. node.] (Geom.) An isolated point not upon a curve, but whose coördinates satisfy the equation of the curve so that it is considered as belonging to the curve.

A*cock" (&?;), adv. [Pref. a- + cock.] In a cocked or turned up fashion.

A*cock"bill` (&?;), adv. [Prefix a- + cock + bill: with bills cocked up.] (Naut.) (a) Hanging at the cathead, ready to let go, as an anchor. (b) Topped up; having one yardarm higher than the other.

A*cold" (&?;), a. [Prob. p. p. of OE. acolen to grow cold or cool, AS. clian to grow cold; pref. a- (cf. Goth. er-, orig. meaning out) + clian to cool. See Cool.] Cold. [Obs.] "Poor Tom's acold." Shak.