Part 6579

<i>Burke.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A person devoted to the study of literary trifles, esp. trifles belonging to the literature of a former age.</def>

<blockquote>That class of subjects which are interesting to the regular <b>literator</b> or black-letter " bibliomane," simply because they have once been interesting. <i>De Quincey.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A learned person; a literatus.</def>

<i>Sir W. Hamilton.</i>

<h1>Literature</h1> <Xpage=859>

<hw>Lit"er*a*ture</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>litt\'82rature</ets>, L. <ets>litteratura</ets>, <ets>literatura</ets>, learning, grammar, writing, fr.<ets>littera</ets>, <ets>litera</ets>, letter. See <er>Letter</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Learning; acquaintance with letters or books.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The collective body of literary productions, embracing the entire results of knowledge and fancy preserved in writing; also, the whole body of literary productions or writings upon a given subject, or in reference to a particular science or branch of knowledge, or of a given country or period; <as>as, the <ex>literature</ex> of Biblical criticism; the <ex>literature</ex> of chemistry.</as></def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>The class of writings distinguished for beauty of style or expression, as poetry, essays, or history, in distinction from scientific treatises and works which contain positive knowledge; belles-lettres.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>The occupation, profession, or business of doing literary work.</def>

<i>Lamp.</i>

<syn>Syn. -- Science; learning; erudition; belles-lettres.</syn> <usage> See <er>Science</er>. -- <er>Literature</er>, <er>Learning</er>, <er>Erudition</er>. <i>Literature</i>, in its widest sense, embraces all compositions in writing or print which preserve the results of observation, thought, or fancy; but those upon the positive sciences (mathematics, etc.) are usually excluded. It is often confined, however, to <i>belles-lettres</i>, or works of taste and sentiment, as poetry, eloquence, history, etc., excluding abstract discussions and mere erudition. A man of <i>literature</i> (in this narrowest sense) is one who is versed in <i>belles-lettres</i>; a man of <i>learning</i> excels in what is taught in the schools, and has a wide extent of knowledge, especially, in respect to the past; a man of <i>erudition</i> is one who is skilled in the more recondite branches of learned inquiry.</usage>

<blockquote>The origin of all positive science and philosophy, as well as of all <b>literature</b> and art, in the forms in which they exist in civilized Europe, must be traced to the Greeks. <i>Sir G. Lewis.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote><b>Learning</b> thy talent is, but mine is sense. <i>Prior.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Some gentlemen, abounding in their university <b>erudition</b>, fill their sermons with philosophical terms. <i>Swift.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Literatus</h1> <Xpage=859>

<hw>Lit`e*ra"tus</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Literati</plw> <tt>(#)</tt></plu>. <ety>[L. <ets>litteratus</ets>, <ets>literatus</ets>.]</ety> <def>A learned man; a man acquainted with literature; -- chiefly used in the <i>plural</i>.</def>

<blockquote>Now we are to consider that our bright ideal of a <b>literatus</b> may chance to be maimed. <i>De Quincey.</i></blockquote>

<h1>-lith, -lite</h1> <Xpage=859>

<hw><hw>-lith</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>-lite</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>.<hw> <def>Combining forms fr. Gr. <grk>li`qos</grk> a <i>stone</i>; -- used chiefly in naming minerals and rocks.</def>

<h1>Lith</h1> <Xpage=859>

<hw>Lith</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <mark>obs.</mark> <def><tt>3d pers. sing. pres.</tt> of <er>Lie</er>, to recline, for <i>lieth</i>.</def>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Lith</h1> <Xpage=859>

<hw>Lith</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>li<?/</ets>.]</ety> <def>A joint or limb; a division; a member; a part formed by growth, and articulated to, or symmetrical with, other parts.</def>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Lith\'91mia</h1> <Xpage=859>

<hw>Li*th\'91"mi*a</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[NL., fr. Gr. <?/ stone + <?/ blood.]</ety> <fld>(Med.)</fld> <def>A condition in which uric (lithic) acid is present in the blood.</def>