Part 6972

<hw>-mere</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <ety>[Gr. <?/ part.]</ety> <def>A combining form meaning <i>part</i>, <i>portion</i>; <as>as, blasto<ex>mere</ex>, epi<ex>mere</ex></as>.</def>

<h1>Mere</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Mere</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Written also <ets>mar</ets>.]</ety> <ety>[OE. <ets>mere</ets>, AS. <ets>mere</ets> mere, sea; akin to D. <ets>meer</ets> lake, OS. <ets>meri</ets> sea, OHG. <ets>meri</ets>, <ets>mari</ets>, G. <ets>meer</ets>, Icel. <ets>marr</ets>, Goth. <ets>marei</ets>, Russ. <ets>more</ets>, W. <ets>mor</ets>, Ir. & Gael. <ets>muir</ets>, L. <ets>mare</ets>, and perh. to L. <ets>mori</ets> to die, and meaning originally, that which is dead, a waste. Cf. <er>Mortal</er>, <er>Marine</er>, <er>Marsh</er>, <er>Mermaid</er>, <er>Moor</er>.]</ety> <def>A pool or lake.</def>

<i>Drayton. Tennyson.</i>

<h1>Mere</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Mere</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Written also <ets>meer</ets> and <ets>mear</ets>.]</ety> <ety>[AS. <ets>gem&aemac;re</ets>. &root;269.]</ety> <def>A boundary.</def>

<i>Bacon.</i>

<hr> <page="914"> Page 914<p>

<h1>Mere</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mere</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <def>To divide, limit, or bound.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>Which <b>meared</b> her rule with Africa. <i>Spenser.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Mere</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mere</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A mare.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Mere</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mere</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>Superl.</tt> <er>Merest</er>. The comparative is rarely or never used.]</wordforms> <ety>[L. <ets>merus</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Unmixed; pure; entire; absolute; unqualified.</def>

<blockquote>Then entered they the <b>mere</b>, main sea. <i>Chapman.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>The sorrows of this world would be <b>mere</b> and unmixed. <i>Jer. Taylor.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Only this, and nothing else; such, and no more; simple; bare; <as>as, a <ex>mere</ex> boy; a <ex>mere</ex> form.</as></def>

<blockquote>From <b>mere</b> success nothing can be concluded in favor of any nation. <i>Atterbury.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Merely</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mere"ly</hw>, <tt>adv.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Purely; unmixedly; absolutely.</def>

<blockquote>Ulysses was to force forth his access, Though <b>merely</b> naked. <i>Chapman.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Not otherwise than; simply; barely; only.</def>

<blockquote>Prize not your life for other ends Than <b>merely</b> to obige your friends. <i>Swift.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- Solely; simply; purely; barely; scarcely.</syn>

<h1>Merenchyma</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Me*ren"chy*ma</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[NL., fr. Gr. <?/ a part + <ets>-enchyma</ets>, as in <ets>parenchyma</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>Tissue composed of spheroidal cells.</def>