Part 70

Ac*quaint"ance (&?;), n. [OE. aqueintance, OF. acointance, fr. acointier. See Acquaint.] 1. A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him.

Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man. Sir W. Jones.

2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.

Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson. Macaulay.

In this sense the collective term acquaintance was formerly both singular and plural, but it is now commonly singular, and has the regular plural acquaintances.

To be of acquaintance, to be intimate. -- To take acquaintance of or with, to make the acquaintance of. [Obs.]

Syn. -- Familiarity; intimacy; fellowship; knowledge. -- Acquaintance, Familiarity, Intimacy. These words mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse; as, our acquaintance has been a brief one. We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, the familiarity of old companions. Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, the intimacy of established friendship.

Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him. Addison.

We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds. Atterbury.

It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue. Rogers.

Ac*quaint"ance*ship, n. A state of being acquainted; acquaintance. Southey.

Ac*quaint"ant (&?;), n. [Cf. F. acointant, p. pr.] An acquaintance. [R.] Swift.

Ac*quaint"ed, a. Personally known; familiar. See To be acquainted with, under Acquaint, v. t.

Ac*quaint"ed*ness, n. State of being acquainted; degree of acquaintance. [R.] Boyle.

Ac*quest" (#), n. [OF. aquest, F. acquêt, fr. LL. acquestum, acquistum, for L. acquistum, p. p. (used substantively) of acquirere to acquire. See Acquire.]

1. Acquisition; the thing gained. [R.] Bacon.

2. (Law) Property acquired by purchase, gift, or otherwise than by inheritance. Bouvier.

Ac`qui*esce" (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Acquiesced (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiescing (&?;)] [L. acquiescere; ad + quiescere to be quiet, fr. quies rest: cf. F. acquiescer. See Quiet.] 1. To rest satisfied, or apparently satisfied, or to rest without opposition and discontent (usually implying previous opposition or discontent); to accept or consent by silence or by omitting to object; -- followed by in, formerly also by with and to.

They were compelled to acquiesce in a government which they did not regard as just. De Quincey.

2. To concur upon conviction; as, to acquiesce in an opinion; to assent to; usually, to concur, not heartily but so far as to forbear opposition.

Syn. -- To submit; comply; yield; assent; agree; consent; accede; concur; conform; accept tacitly.

Ac`qui*es"cence (&?;), n. [Cf. F. acquiescence.] 1. A silent or passive assent or submission, or a submission with apparent content; -- distinguished from avowed consent on the one hand, and on the other, from opposition or open discontent; quiet satisfaction.

2. (Crim. Law) (a) Submission to an injury by the party injured. (b) Tacit concurrence in the action of another. Wharton.

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Ac`qui*es"cen*cy (&?;), n. The quality of being acquiescent; acquiescence.

Ac`qui*es"cent (&?;), a. [L. acquiescens, -centis; p. pr.] Resting satisfied or submissive; disposed tacitly to submit; assentive; as, an acquiescent policy.

Ac`qui*es"cent*ly, adv. In an acquiescent manner.

Ac*qui"et (&?;), v. t. [LL. acquietare; L. ad + quies rest. See Quiet and cf. Acquit.] To quiet. [Obs.]