Part 829

Es`o*ter"ic (s`*t"k), a. [Gr. 'eswteriko`s, fr. 'esw`teros inner, interior, comp. fr. 'e`sw in, within, fr. 'es, e'is, into, fr. 'en in. See In.] Designed for, and understood by, the specially initiated alone; not communicated, or not intelligible, to the general body of followers; private; interior; acroamatic; -- said of the private and more recondite instructions and doctrines of philosophers. Opposed to exoteric.

Enough if every age produce two or three critics of this esoteric class, with here and there a reader to understand them.

De Quincey.

Es`o*ter"ic*al (?), a. Esoteric.

Es`o*ter"ic*al*ly, adv. In an esoteric manner.

Es`o*ter"i*cism (?), n. Esoteric doctrine or principles.

Es`o*ter"ics (?), n. Mysterious or hidden doctrines; secret science.

Es"o*ter*y (?), n. Mystery; esoterics; -- opposed to exotery. A. Tucker.

||E"sox (?), n. [L., a kind of pike.] (Zoöl.) A genus of fresh-water fishes, including pike and pickerel.

Es*pace" (?), n. Space. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Es"pa*don (?), n. [F. espadon, fr. Sp. espadon, fr. espada sword; or fr. It. spadone an espadon, spada sword.] A long, heavy, two-handed and two-edged sword, formerly used by Spanish foot soldiers and by executioners. Wilhelm.

Es*pal"ier (?), n. [F. espalier, fr. It. spalliera, fr. spalla shoulder, the same word as F. épaule. See Epaulet.] (Hort.) A railing or trellis upon which fruit trees or shrubs are trained, as upon a wall; a tree or row of trees so trained.

And figs from standard and espalier join.

Pope.

Es*pal"ier, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Espaliered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Espaliering.] To form an espalier of, or to protect by an espalier.

Es*par"cet (?), n. [F. esparcet, esparcette, éparcet, fr. Sp. esparceta, esparcilla.] (Bot.) The common sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa), an Old World leguminous forage plant.

||Es*par"to (?), n. [Sp.; cf. L. spartum Spanish broom, Gr. &?;.] (Bot.) A species of Spanish grass (Macrochloa tenacissima), of which cordage, shoes, baskets, etc., are made. It is also used for making paper.

||Es`pau`liere" (?), n. [OF. & F. épaulière. See Espalier.] A defense for the shoulder, composed of flexible overlapping plates of metal, used in the 15th century; -- the origin of the modern epaulette. Fairholt.

Es*pe"cial (?), a. [OF. especial, F. spécial, L. specialis, fr. species a particular sort, kind, or quality. See Species, and cf. Special.] Distinguished among others of the same class or kind; special; concerning a species or a single object; principal; particular; as, in an especial manner or degree.

Syn. -- Peculiar; special; particular; uncommon; chief. See Peculiar.

Es*pe"cial*ly, adv. In an especial manner; chiefly; particularly; peculiarly; in an uncommon degree.

Es*pe"cial*ness (?), n. The state of being especial.

Es"pe*rance (?), n. [F. espérance, fr. L. sperans, p. pr. of sperare to hope.] Hope. [Obs.] Shak.

||Es`pi*aille" (?), n. Espial. [Obs.]

Es*pi"al (?), n. [OE. & Norm. F. espiaille. See Espy.] 1. The act of espying; notice; discovery.

Screened from espial by the jutting cape.

Byron.

2. One who espies; a spy; a scout. [Obs.] "Their espials . . . brought word." Holland.