| Act |
n. |
That which is done or doing; the exercise of power, or the effect, of which power exerted is the cause; a performance; a deed. |
| Act |
n. |
The result of public deliberation; the decision or determination of a legislative body, council, court of justice, etc.; a decree, edit, law, judgment, resolve, award; as, an act of Parliament, or of Congress. |
| Act |
n. |
A formal solemn writing, expressing that something has been done. |
| Act |
n. |
A performance of part of a play; one of the principal divisions of a play or dramatic work in which a certain definite part of the action is completed. |
| Act |
n. |
A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student. |
| Act |
n. |
A state of reality or real existence as opposed to a possibility or possible existence. |
| Act |
n. |
Process of doing; action. In act, in the very doing; on the point of (doing). |
| Act |
v. t. |
To move to action; to actuate; to animate. |
| Act |
v. t. |
To perform; to execute; to do. |
| Act |
v. t. |
To perform, as an actor; to represent dramatically on the stage. |
| Act |
v. t. |
To assume the office or character of; to play; to personate; as, to act the hero. |
| Act |
v. t. |
To feign or counterfeit; to simulate. |
| Act |
v. i. |
To exert power; to produce an effect; as, the stomach acts upon food. |
| Act |
v. i. |
To perform actions; to fulfill functions; to put forth energy; to move, as opposed to remaining at rest; to carry into effect a determination of the will. |
| Act |
v. i. |
To behave or conduct, as in morals, private duties, or public offices; to bear or deport one's self; as, we know not why he has acted so. |
| Act |
v. i. |
To perform on the stage; to represent a character. |
| Actable |
a. |
Capable of being acted. |
| Acted |
imp. & p. p. |
of Act |
| Actinal |
a. |
Pertaining to the part of a radiate animal which contains the mouth. |
| Actinaria |
n. pl. |
A large division of Anthozoa, including those which have simple tentacles and do not form stony corals. Sometimes, in a wider sense, applied to all the Anthozoa, expert the Alcyonaria, whether forming corals or not. |
| Acting |
p. pr. & vb. n. |
of Act |
| Acting |
a. |
Operating in any way. |
| Acting |
a. |
Doing duty for another; officiating; as, an acting superintendent. |
| Actinia |
n. |
An animal of the class Anthozoa, and family Actinidae. From a resemblance to flowers in form and color, they are often called animal flowers and sea anemones. [See Polyp.]. |
| Actinia |
n. |
A genus in the family Actinidae. |
| Actiniae |
pl. |
of Actinia |
| Actinias |
pl. |
of Actinia |
| Actinic |
a. |
Of or pertaining to actinism; as, actinic rays. |
| Actiniform |
a. |
Having a radiated form, like a sea anemone. |
| Actinism |
n. |
The property of radiant energy (found chiefly in solar or electric light) by which chemical changes are produced, as in photography. |
| Actinium |
n. |
A supposed metal, said by Phipson to be contained in commercial zinc;
so called because certain of its compounds are darkened by exposure to light. |
| Actino-chemistry |
n. |
Chemistry in its relations to actinism. |
| Actinogram |
n. |
A record made by the actinograph. |
| Actinograph |
n. |
An instrument for measuring and recording the variations in the actinic or chemical force of rays of light. |
| Actinoid |
a. |
Having the form of rays; radiated, as an actinia. |
| Actinolite |
n. |
A bright green variety of amphibole occurring usually in fibrous or columnar masses. |
| Actinolitic |
a. |
Of the nature of, or containing, actinolite. |
| Actinology |
n. |
The science which treats of rays of light, especially of the actinic or chemical rays. |
| Actinomere |
n. |
One of the radial segments composing the body of one of the Coelenterata. |
| Actinometer |
n. |
An instrument for measuring the direct heating power of the sun's rays. |
| Actinometer |
n. |
An instrument for measuring the actinic effect of rays of light. |
| Actinometric |
a. |
Pertaining to the measurement of the intensity of the solar rays, either (a) heating, or (b) actinic. |
| Actinometry |
n. |
The measurement of the force of solar radiation. |
| Actinometry |
n. |
The measurement of the chemical or actinic energy of light. |
| Actinomycosis |
n. |
A chronic infectious disease of cattle and man due to the presence of Actinomyces bovis. It causes local suppurating tumors, esp. about the jaw. Called also lumpy jaw or big jaw. |
| Actinophone |
n. |
An apparatus for the production of sound by the action of the actinic, or ultraviolet, rays. |
| Actinophonic |
a. |
Pertaining to, or causing the production of, sound by means of the actinic, or ultraviolet, rays; as, actinophonic phenomena. |
| Actinophorous |
a. |
Having straight projecting spines. |
| Actinosome |
n. |
The entire body of a coelenterate. |
| Actinost |
n. |
One of the bones at the base of a paired fin of a fish. |
| Actinostome |
n. |
The mouth or anterior opening of a coelenterate animal. |
| Actinotrocha |
n. pl. |
A peculiar larval form of Phoronis, a genus of marine worms, having a circle of ciliated tentacles. |
| Actinozoa |
n. pl. |
A group of Coelenterata, comprising the Anthozoa and Ctenophora. The sea anemone, or actinia, is a familiar example. |
| Actinozoal |
a. |
Of or pertaining to the Actinozoa. |
| Actinozoon |
n. |
One of the Actinozoa. |
| Actinula |
n. pl. |
A kind of embryo of certain hydroids (Tubularia), having a stellate form. |
| Action |
n. |
A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as, the action of heat; a man of action. |
| Action |
n. |
An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor. |
| Action |
n. |
The event or connected series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, poem, or other composition; the unfolding of the drama of events. |
| Action |
n. |
Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action. |
| Action |
n. |
Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun. |
| Action |
n. |
Any one of the active processes going on in an organism; the performance of a function; as, the action of the heart, the muscles, or the gastric juice. |
| Action |
n. |
Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings. |
| Action |
n. |
The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted. |
| Action |
n. |
A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; in a broad sense, a judicial proceeding for the enforcement or protection of a right, the redress or prevention of a wrong, or the punishment of a public offense. |
| Action |
n. |
A right of action; as, the law gives an action for every claim. |
| Action |
n. |
A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks. |
| Action |
n. |
An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight; as, a general action, a partial action. |
| Action |
n. |
The mechanical contrivance by means of which the impulse of the player's finger is transmitted to the strings of a pianoforte or to the valve of an organ pipe. |
| Actionable |
a. |
That may be the subject of an action or suit at law; as, to call a man a thief is actionable. |
| Actionably |
adv. |
In an actionable manner. |
| Actionary |
n. |
Alt. of Actionist |
| Actionist |
n. |
A shareholder in joint-stock company. |
| Actionless |
a. |
Void of action. |
| Activate |
v. t. |
To make active. |
| Active |
a. |
Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;
opposed to passive, that receives; as, certain active principles; the powers of the mind. |
| Active |
a. |
Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble; as, an active child or animal. |
| Active |
a. |
In action; actually proceeding; working; in force;
opposed to quiescent, dormant, or extinct; as, active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano. |
| Active |
a. |
Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy;
opposed to dull, sluggish, indolent, or inert; as, an active man of business; active mind; active zeal. |
| Active |
a. |
Requiring or implying action or exertion;
opposed to sedentary or to tranquil; as, active employment or service; active scenes. |
| Active |
a. |
Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative;
opposed to speculative or theoretical; as, an active rather than a speculative statesman. |
| Active |
a. |
Brisk; lively; as, an active demand for corn. |
| Active |
a. |
Implying or producing rapid action; as, an active disease; an active remedy. |
| Active |
a. |
Applied to a form of the verb;
opposed to passive. See Active voice, under Voice. |
| Active |
a. |
Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive. |
| Active |
a. |
Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state. |
| Actively |
adv. |
In an active manner; nimbly; briskly; energetically; also, by one's own action; voluntarily, not passively. |
| Actively |
adv. |
In an active signification; as, a word used actively. |
| Activeness |
n. |
The quality of being active; nimbleness; quickness of motion; activity. |
| Activities |
pl. |
of Activity |
| Activity |
n. |
The state or quality of being active; nimbleness; agility; vigorous action or operation; energy; active force; as, an increasing variety of human activities. |
| Actless |
a. |
Without action or spirit. |
| Acton |
n. |
A stuffed jacket worn under the mail, or (later) a jacket plated with mail. |
| Actor |
n. |
One who acts, or takes part in any affair; a doer. |
| Actor |
n. |
A theatrical performer; a stageplayer. |
| Actor |
n. |
An advocate or proctor in civil courts or causes. |
| Actor |
n. |
One who institutes a suit; plaintiff or complainant. |
| Actress |
n. |
A female actor or doer. |
| Actress |
n. |
A female stageplayer; a woman who acts a part. |
| Actual |
a. |
Involving or comprising action; active. |
