Part 1803

<hw>Char</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F.]</ety> <def>A car; a chariot.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Char</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw>Char</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>cherr</ets>, <ets>char</ets> a turning, time, work, AS. <ets>cerr</ets>, <ets>cyrr</ets>, turn, occasion, business, fr. <ets>cerran</ets>, <ets>cyrran</ets>, to turn; akin to OS. <ets>k\'89rian</ets>, OHG. <ets>ch\'89ran</ets>, G. <ets>kehren</ets>. Cf. <er>Chore</er>, <er>Ajar</er>.]</ety> <def>Work done by the day; a single job, or task; a chore.</def> <altsp>[Written also <asp>chare</asp>.]</altsp> <mark>[Eng.]</mark>

<blockquote>When thou hast done this <b>chare</b>, I give thee leave To play till doomsday. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Char, Chare</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw><hw>Char</hw>, <hw>Chare</hw>,<hw> <tt>v. t.</tt> <ety>[See 3d <er>Char</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To perform; to do; to finish.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Nores.</i>

<blockquote>Thet char is <b>chared</b>, as the good wife said when she had hanged her husband. <i>Old Proverb.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To work or hew, as stone.</def>

<i>Oxf. Gloss.</i>

<h1>Char, Chare</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw><hw>Char</hw>, <hw>Chare</hw>,<hw> <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To work by the day, without being a regularly hired servant; to do small jobs.</def>

<h1>Char</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw>Char</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Charred</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Charring</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Prob. the same word as <ets>char</ets> to perform (see <er>Char</er>, <tt>n.</tt>), the modern use coming from <ets>charcoal</ets>, prop. <ets>coal-turned</ets>, turned to coal.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To reduce to coal or carbon by exposure to heat; to reduce to charcoal; to burn to a cinder.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To burn slightly or partially; <as>as, to <ex>char</ex> wood</as>.</def>

<h1>Chara</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw>Cha"ra</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[NL., of uncertain origin.]</ety> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>A genus of flowerless plants, having articulated stems and whorled branches. They flourish in wet places.</def>

<h1>Char-a-bancs</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw>Char`-a-bancs"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Chars-a-banc</plw> <tt>(#)</tt>.</plu> <ety>[F.]</ety> <def>A long, light, open vehicle, with benches or seats running lengthwise.</def>

<h1>Charact</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw>Char"act</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A distinctive mark; a character; a letter or sign. <mark>[Obs.]</mark> See <er>Character</er>.</def>

<blockquote>In all his dressings, <b>characts</b>, titles, forms. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Character</h1> <Xpage=240>

<hw>Char"ac*ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L., an instrument for marking, character, Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ to make sharp, to cut into furrows, to engrave: cf. F. <ets>caract\'8are</ets>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>A distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol.</def>

<blockquote>It were much to be wished that there were throughout the world but one sort of <b>character</b> for each letter to express it to the eye. <i>Holder.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people; <as>as, an inscription in the Runic <ex>character</ex></as>.</def>