Part 72

2. To pay for; to atone for. [Obs.] Shak.

3. To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge; -- now followed by of before the charge, formerly by from; as, the jury acquitted the prisoner; we acquit a man of evil intentions.

4. Reflexively: (a) To clear one's self. Shak. (b) To bear or conduct one's self; to perform one's part; as, the soldier acquitted himself well in battle; the orator acquitted himself very poorly.

Syn. -- To absolve; clear; exonerate; exonerate; exculpate; release; discharge. See Absolve.

Ac*quit"ment (-ment), n. [Cf. OF. aquitement.] Acquittal. [Obs.] Milton.

Ac*quit"tal (&?;), n. 1. The act of acquitting; discharge from debt or obligation; acquittance.

2. (Law) A setting free, or deliverance from the charge of an offense, by verdict of a jury or sentence of a court. Bouvier.

Ac*quit"tance (&?;), n. [OF. aquitance, fr. aquiter. See Acquit.] 1. The clearing off of debt or obligation; a release or discharge from debt or other liability.

2. A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand.

You can produce acquittances For such a sum, from special officers. Shak.

Ac*quit"tance, v. t. To acquit. [Obs.] Shak.

Ac*quit"ter (&?;), n. One who acquits or releases.

||A*cra"ni*a (&?;), n. [NL., from Gr. 'a priv. + &?; skull.] 1. (Physiol.) Partial or total absence of the skull.

2. pl. (Zoöl.) The lowest group of Vertebrata, including the amphioxus, in which no skull exists.

A*cra"ni*al (&?;), a. Wanting a skull.

{ A*crase", A*craze" } (&?;), v. t. [Pref. a- + crase; or cf. F. écraser to crush. See Crase, Craze.]

1. To craze. [Obs.] Grafton.

2. To impair; to destroy. [Obs.] Hacket.

{ ||A*cra"si*a (&?;), Ac"ra*sy (&?;) } n. [Gr. akrasia.] Excess; intemperance. [Obs. except in Med.] Farindon.

||A*cras"pe*da (&?;), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. 'a priv. + &?; border.] (Zoöl.) A group of acalephs, including most of the larger jellyfishes; the Discophora.

A"cre (&?;), n. [OE. aker, AS. æcer; akin to OS. accar, OHG. achar, Ger. acker, Icel. akr, Sw. åker, Dan. ager, Goth. akrs, L. ager, Gr. &?;, Skr. ajra. √2, 206.] 1. Any field of arable or pasture land. [Obs.]

2. A piece of land, containing 160 square rods, or 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. This is the English statute acre. That of the United States is the same. The Scotch acre was about 1.26 of the English, and the Irish 1.62 of the English.

The acre was limited to its present definite quantity by statutes of Edward I., Edward III., and Henry VIII.

Broad acres, many acres, much landed estate. [Rhetorical] -- God's acre, God's field; the churchyard.

I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls The burial ground, God's acre. Longfellow.

A"cre*a*ble (&?;), a. Of an acre; per acre; as, the acreable produce.

A"cre*age (&?;), n. Acres collectively; as, the acreage of a farm or a country.

A"cred (&?;), a. Possessing acres or landed property; -- used in composition; as, large-acred men.