Part 189

<i>Byron.</i>

<h1>Adulation</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>Ad`u*la"tion</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>adulation</ets>, fr. L. <ets>adulatio</ets>, fr. <ets>adulari</ets>, <ets>adulatum</ets>, to flatter.]</ety> <def>Servile flattery; praise in excess, or beyond what is merited.</def>

<blockquote>Think'st thou the fiery fever will go out With titles blown from <b>adulation</b>? <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- Sycophancy; cringing; fawning; obsequiousness; blandishment.</syn> <usage> -- <er>Adulation</er>, <er>Flattery</er>, <er>Compliment</er>. Men deal in <i>compliments</i> from a desire to please; they use <i>flattery</i> either from undue admiration, or a wish to gratify vanity; they practice <i>adulation</i> from sordid motives, and with a mingled spirit of falsehood and hypocrisy. <i>Compliment</i> may be a sincere expression of due respect and esteem, or it may be unmeaning; <i>flattery</i> is apt to become gross; <i>adulation</i> is always servile, and usually fulsome.</usage>

<h1>Adulator</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>Ad"u*la`tor</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L., fr. <ets>adulari</ets>: cf. F. <ets>adulateur</ets>.]</ety> <def>A servile or hypocritical flatterer.</def>

<i>Carlyle.</i>

<h1>Adulatory</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>Ad"u*la*to*ry</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>adulatorius</ets>, fr. <ets>adulari</ets>: cf. OF. <ets>adulatoire</ets>.]</ety> <def>Containing excessive praise or compliment; servilely praising; flattering; <as>as, an <ex>adulatory</ex> address</as>.</def>

<blockquote>A mere rant of <b>adulatory</b> freedom. <i>Burke.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Adulatress</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>Ad"u*la`tress</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A woman who flatters with servility.</def>

<h1>Adult</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>A*dult"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>adultus</ets>, p. p. of <ets>adolescere</ets>, akin to <ets>alere</ets> to nourish: cf. F. <ets>adulte</ets>. See <er>Adolescent</er>, <er>Old</er>.]</ety> <def>Having arrived at maturity, or to full size and strength; matured; <as>as, an <ex>adult</ex> person or plant; an <ex>adult</ex> ape; an <ex>adult</ex> age.</as></def>

<h1>Adult</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>A*dult"</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A person, animal, or plant grown to full size and strength; one who has reached maturity.</def>

<note>&hand; In the <i>common law</i>, the term is applied to a person who has attained full age or legal majority; in the <i>civil law</i>, to males after the age of fourteen, and to females after twelve.</note>

<h1>Adulter</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>A*dul"ter</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>adulterare</ets>.]</ety> <def>To commit adultery; to pollute.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>B. Jonson.</i>

<h1>Adulterant</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>A*dul"ter*ant</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>adulterans</ets>, p. pr. of <ets>adulterare</ets>.]</ety> <def>That which is used to adulterate anything. -- <i>a</i>. Adulterating; <as>as, <ex>adulterant</ex> agents and processes</as>.</def>

<h1>Adulterate</h1> <Xpage=24>

<hw>A*dul"ter*ate</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Adulterated</er> <tt>(#)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n</tt> <er>Adulterating</er> <tt>(#)</tt>.]</wordforms> <ety>[L. <ets>adulteratus</ets>, p. p. of <ets>adulterare</ets>, fr. <ets>adulter</ets> adulterer, prob. fr. <ets>ad + alter</ets> other, properly one who approaches another on account of unlawful love. Cf. <er>Advoutry</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>To defile by adultery.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Milton.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To corrupt, debase, or make impure by an admixture of a foreign or a baser substance; <as>as, to <ex>adulterate</ex> food, drink, drugs, coin, etc.</as></def>