Part 135

<cs><col>Act of attainder</col>. <fld>(Law)</fld> <cd>See <er>Attainder</er>.</cd> -- <col>Act of bankruptcy</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>an act of a debtor which renders him liable to be adjudged a bankrupt.</cd> -- <col>Act of faith</col>. <fld>(Ch. Hist.)</fld> <cd>See <er>Auto-da-F\'82</er>.</cd> -- <col>Act of God</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>an inevitable accident; such extraordinary interruption of the usual course of events as is not to be looked for in advance, and against which ordinary prudence could not guard.</cd> -- <col>Act of grace</col>, <cd>an expression often used to designate an act declaring pardon or amnesty to numerous offenders, as at the beginning of a new reign.</cd> -- <col>Act of indemnity</col>, <cd>a statute passed for the protection of those who have committed some illegal act subjecting them to penalties.</cd> <i>Abbott</i>. -- <col>Act in pais</col>, <cd>a thing done out of court (anciently, in <i>the country<i>), and not a matter of record.</cd></cs>

<syn>Syn. -- See <er>Action</er>.</syn>

<h1>Act</h1> <Xpage=18>

<hw>Act</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Acted</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Acting</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[L. <ets>actus</ets>, p. p. of <ets>agere</ets> to drive, lead, do; but influenced by E. <ets>act</ets>, n.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To move to action; to actuate; to animate.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>Self-love, the spring of motion, <b>acts</b> the soul. <i>Pope.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To perform; to execute; to do.</def> <mark>[Archaic]</mark>

<blockquote>That we <b>act</b> our temporal affairs with a desire no greater than our necessity. <i>Jer. Taylor.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Industry doth beget by producing good habits, and facility of <b>acting</b> things expedient for us to do. <i>Barrow.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Uplifted hands that at convenient times Could <b>act</b> extortion and the worst of crimes. <i>Cowper.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To perform, as an actor; to represent dramatically on the stage.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>To assume the office or character of; to play; to personate; <as>as, to <ex>act</ex> the hero</as>.</def>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>To feign or counterfeit; to simulate.</def>

<blockquote>With <b>acted</b> fear the villain thus pursued. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<cs><col>To act a part</col>, <cd>to sustain the part of one of the characters in a play; hence, to simulate; to dissemble.</cd> -- <col>To act the part of</col>, <cd>to take the character of; to fulfill the duties of.</cd></cs>

<h1>Act</h1> <Xpage=18>

<hw>Act</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To exert power; to produce an effect; <as>as, the stomach <ex>acts</ex> upon food</as>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To perform actions; to fulfill functions; to put forth energy; to move, as opposed to remaining at rest; to carry into effect a determination of the will.</def>

<blockquote>He hangs between, in doubt to <b>act</b> or rest. <i>Pope.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To behave or conduct, as in morals, private duties, or public offices; to bear or deport one's self; <as>as, we know not why he has <ex>acted</ex> so</as>.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>To perform on the stage; to represent a character.</def>

<blockquote>To show the world how Garrick did not <b>act</b>. <i>Cowper.</i></blockquote>

<cs><mcol><col>To act as</col> &or; <col>for</col>, <cd>to do the work of; to serve as.</cd> -- <col>To act on</col>, <cd>to regulate one's conduct according to.</cd> -- <col>To act up to</col>, <cd>to equal in action; to fulfill in practice; <as>as, he has <ex>acted up to<ex> his engagement or his advantages</as>.</cd><-- to act up, to misbehave --></cs>

<h1>Actable</h1> <Xpage=18>

<hw>Act"a*ble</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Capable of being acted.</def>

<i>Tennyson.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Actinal</h1> <Xpage=18>

<hw>Ac"ti*nal</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/, <?/, ray.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>Pertaining to the part of a radiate animal which contains the mouth.</def>

<i>L. Agassiz.</i>