Part 4751

<p><b>6.</b> <def>As a whole; in gross; for the most part.</def>

<blockquote>His <b>general</b> behavior vain, ridiculous. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>7.</b> <def>Usual; common, on most occasions; <as>as, his <ex>general</ex> habit or method</as>.</def>

<note>&hand; The word <i>general</i>, annexed to a name of office, usually denotes <i>chief</i> or <i>superior</i>; as, attorney-<i>general</i>; adjutant <i>general</i>; commissary <i>general</i>; quartermaster <i>general</i>; vicar-<i>general</i>, etc.</note>

<cs><col>General agent</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>an agent whom a principal employs to transact all his business of a particular kind, or to act in his affairs generally.</cd> -- <col>General assembly</col>. <cd>See the Note under <er>Assembly</er>.</cd> -- <mcol><col>General average</col>, <col>General Court</col></mcol>. <cd>See under <er>Average</er>, <er>Court</er>.</cd> -- <col>General court-martial</col> <fld>(Mil.)</fld>, <cd>the highest military and naval judicial tribunal.</cd> -- <col>General dealer</col> <fld>(Com.)</fld>, <cd>a shopkeeper who deals in all articles in common use.</cd> -- <col>General demurrer</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>a demurrer which objects to a pleading in general terms, as insufficient, without specifying the defects. <i>Abbott</i>.</cd> -- <col>General epistle</col>, <cd>a canonical epistle.</cd> -- <col>General guides</col> <fld>(Mil.)</fld>, <cd>two sergeants (called the <i>right<i>, and the <i>left<i>, <i>general guide<i>) posted opposite the right and left flanks of an infantry battalion, to preserve accuracy in marching. <i>Farrow</i>.</cd> -- <col>General hospitals</col> <fld>(Mil.)</fld>, <cd>hospitals established to receive sick and wounded sent from the field hospitals.</cd> <i>Farrow</i>. <col>General issue</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>an issue made by a general plea, which traverses the whole declaration or indictment at once, without offering any special matter to evade it. <i>Bouvier</i>. <i>Burrill</i>.</cd> -- <col>General lien</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>a right to detain a chattel, etc., until payment is made of any balance due on a general account.</cd> -- <col>General officer</col> <fld>(Mil.)</fld>, <cd>any officer having a rank above that of colonel.</cd> -- <col>General orders</col> <fld>(Mil.)</fld>, <cd>orders from headquarters published to the whole command.</cd> -- <col>General practitioner</col>, <cd>in the United States, one who practices medicine in all its branches without confining himself to any specialty; in England, one who practices both as physician and as surgeon.</cd> -- <col>General ship</col>, <cd>a ship not chartered or let to particular parties.</cd> -- <col>General term</col> <fld>(Logic)</fld>, <cd>a term which is the sign of a general conception or notion.</cd> -- <col>General verdict</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>the ordinary comprehensive verdict in civil actions, "for the plaintiff" or "for the defendant". <i>Burrill</i>.</cd> -- <col>General warrant</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>a warrant, now illegal, to apprehend suspected persons, without naming individuals.</cd></cs>

<syn>Syn. <er>General</er>, <er>Common</er>, <er>Universal</er>.</syn> <usage> <i>Common</i> denotes primarily that in which many share; and hence, that which is often met with. <i>General</i> is stronger, denoting that which pertains to a majority of the individuals which compose a <i>genus</i>, or whole. <i>Universal</i>, that which pertains to all without exception. To be able to read and write is so <i>common</i> an attainment in the United States, that we may pronounce it <i>general</i>, though by no means <i>universal</i>.</usage>

<syn>Gen"er*al <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>g\'82n\'82ral</ets>. See <er>General</er>., <tt>a.</tt>]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> The whole; the total; that which comprehends or relates to all, or the chief part; -- opposed to <i>particular</i>.

<blockquote>In particulars our knowledge begins, and so spreads itself by degrees to <b>generals</b>. <i>Locke.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Mil.)</fld> <def>One of the chief military officers of a government or country; the commander of an army, of a body of men not less than a brigade. In European armies, the highest military rank next below field marshal.</def>

<note>&hand; In the United States the office of <i>General of the Army</i> has been created by temporary laws, and has been held only by Generals U. S. Grant, W. T. Sherman, and P. H. Sheridan. <-- = 5-star general. Eisenhower? MacArthur? Pershing? -->Popularly, the title <i>General</i> is given to various <i>general officers</i>, as General, Lieutenant general, Major general, Brigadier general, Commissary general, etc. See <er>Brigadier general</er>, <er>Lieutenant general</er>, <er>Major general</er>, in the Vocabulary.</note>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Mil.)</fld> <def>The roll of the drum which calls the troops together; <as>as, to beat the <ex>general</ex></as>.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Eccl.)</fld> <def>The chief of an order of monks, or of all the houses or congregations under the same rule.</def>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>The public; the people; the vulgar.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Shak.</i>

<cs><col>In general</col>, <cd>in the main; for the most part.</cd></cs>

<h1>Generalia</h1> <Xpage=618>

<hw>Gen`e*ra"li*a</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n. pl.</tt> <ety>[Neut. pl., fr. L. <ets>generalis</ets>.]</ety> <def>Generalities; general terms.</def>

<i>J. S. Mill.</i>

<h1>Generalissimo</h1> <Xpage=618>

<hw>Gen`er*al*is"si*mo</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[It., superl. of <ets>generale</ets> general. See <er>General</er>, <tt>a.</tt>]</ety> <def>The chief commander of an army; especially, the commander in chief of an army consisting of two or more grand divisions under separate commanders; -- a title used in most foreign countries.</def>

<h1>Generality</h1> <Xpage=618>

<hw>Gen`er*al"i*ty</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Generalities</plw> <tt>(#)</tt></plu>. <ety>[L. <ets>generalitas</ets>: cf. F. <ets>g\'82n\'82ralit\'82</ets>. Cf. <er>Generalty</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>The state of being general; the quality of including species or particulars.</def>

<i>Hooker.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>That which is general; that which lacks specificalness, practicalness, or application; a general or vague statement or phrase.</def>

<blockquote>Let us descend from <b>generalities</b> to particulars. <i>Landor.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>The glittering and sounding <b>generalities</b> of natural right which make up the Declaration of Independence. <i>R. Choate.</i></blockquote>