construction (konstrukshon)

[= D. kon struktie G. construction = Dan. Sw. konstruk tion, construct us, construct: see construct, v.] 1. The act of building or making; the act of devising and forming; fabrication. From the raft or canoe to the construction of a ve el capable of conveying a numerous crew with safety to a distant coast, the progre in improvement is immense. Robertson . IMG:content-1139.png:[blocks in formation] 3. That which is constructed; a structure. The period when these old constructions [mounds] were deserted is far back in the past. J. D. Baldwin, Anc. America, p. 51. 4. In geom ., a figure drawn so as to satisfy given conditions; the method of drawing such a figure with given mathematical instruments, especially with rule and compa es. 6. The act of construing; the manner of un- der standing or construing the arrangement of words, or of explaining facts; attributed sense or meaning; explanation; interpretation. He shall find the letter; observe his construction of it. Shak ., T. N.,, ii. 3. Foul wresting, and impo ible construction . B. Jonson, Sejanus, iii. 1. Wherein I have heretofore been faulty, Let your constructions mildly pa it over. Ford , Broken Heart, iv. 2. Religion produces good will towards men, and puts the mildest construction upon every accident that befalls. Spectator , No. 483. The use of wood constructionally should be discarded. Workshop Receipts , 2d ser., p. 292. 2. With reference to verbal construction; by construing. constructionist (kon-struk's hon-ist), n. construction + -ist.] One who construes or interprets law or the terms of an agreement, etc.: generally with a limiting adjective. - Strict constructionist, one who favors exact and rigid construction, as of laws; specifically, in U. S. hist . , one who advocates a strict construction of the provisions of the Constitution of the United States, with especial reference to the rights of the individual States. The Anti-Federalist party, the Democratic Republicans who succeeded them, and the Democratic party have in general been strict con- structionists; the Federalists, Whigs, and modern Repub- licans have been chiefly broad or loose constructionists. construction-way (kon-struk's hon-wā), n. A temporary way or road employed for the trans- port at i on of the materials used in constructing constructive (kon-struktiv), a . [= OF. and F. construct if = "Pr. constructiu = Pg. construc- tivo , constructivus , construct us , pp. of construere , construct: see construct , v.] 1. Capable of constructing, or of being employed in construction; formative; shaping. The constructive fingers of Watt, Fulton, Ark wright. Emerson, E ays, 1st ser., p. 36. Emerson was not a great philosopher, because he had no constructive talent, he could not build a system of phi losophy. The Century, XXVII. 925. 2. Relating or pertaining to the act or proce of construction; of the nature of construction. He [Markquard] brought in the received constructive form of his day. E. A. Freeman, Venice, p. 65. Architectural ornament is of two kinds, constructive and decorative. By the former are meant all those contrivances, such as capitals, brackets, vaulting shafts, and the like, which serve to explain or give expre ion to the construc- tion. J. Fergu on, Hist. Arch., I. 31. amounts in the eye of the law to an act, irre- spective of whether it was really and inten- tionally performed. Stipulations, expre ed or implied, formal or construc- Paley . The doctrine of constructive treason was terribly exem- plified in the cases of Burdett, Stacy, and Walker. Stubbs , Const. Hist., § 373. Constructive contempt, delivery, dilemma, escape, eviction, fraud, imprisonment, malice, mileage, no- tice, trust, etc. See the nouns.- Constructive total lo , in marine insurance , occurs when the thing insured and damaged is not actually wholly lost, but recovery is highly improbable, or recovery and repairs would cost more than the thing would be worth after being repaired. total lo is secured by notice of abandonment given by constructively (kon-struktiv-li), adv . In a con- structive manner. Specifically- (a) By way of con- struct i on or interpretation; by fair inference. If prophetic fire Have warm'd this old man's bosom, we might construe His words to fatal sense. Ford, Broken Heart, iv. 1. His [Stuyvesant's] haughty refusal to submit to the ques- sciousne of guilt. Irving , Knickerbocker, p. 299. =Syn. Interpret , Render , etc. (see translate ). Construe, Construct. "To construe means to interpret, to show the meaning; to construct means to build: we may construe a sentence, as in translation, or construct it, as in compos i- tion." A. S. Hill , Rhetoric, p. 50. constupratet (kon'stū-prāt), v . t .; pret. and pp. constuprated, ppr. constuprating. [L. constu- prat us , pp. of const up rare , com- (intensive) + stuprare , ravish, stuprum , defilement.] To violate; debauch; deflower. Burton . constuprationt (kon-stu-pra's hon), n. [= F. constupration (obs.), const up ratio ( n- ) , const up rare , pp. const up ratus , ravish: see con- stuprate .] The act of ravishing; violation; de- file ment. Bp . Hall . consubsist (kon-sub-sist'), v. i. [ sist .] To subsist together. [Rare.] Two consubsisting wills. actually, by a formal notice from the blockading power, or constructively, by notice to his government. Chancellor Kent , Com., I. § 147. Ceremonials may be immoral in themselves, or construc- tively immoral on account of their known symbolism. W. K. Clifford, Lectures, II. 214. (6) For the purpose of building or construction. The Babylonians and A yrians never seem to have used stone constructively , except as the revetment of a terrace wall. J. Fergu on, Hist. Arch., I. 188. constructivene (kon-struktiv-nes), n. In phren ., the tendency to construct in general, supposed not to be an independent faculty, but to take its particular direction from other fac- ulties. It is said to be large in painters, sculp- tors, mechanicians, and architects. See cut under phrenology. constructor (kon-struk'tor), n. [F. construc- teur (> D. konstrukteur = Dan. konstruktör ) = Sp. Pg. constructor = It. cost rut tore , construere , pp. construct us , build, construct: see construct , v.] 1. One who con- structs or makes; specifically, a builder. A constructor of dials. Johnson, Rambler, No. 103. Social courage is exactly the virtue in which the con- struct ors of a government will always think themselves least able to indulge. J. Morley, Burke, p. 140. At present no question is exciting more attention among our constructors than that of the strength of materials. Science, III. 312. Seeing no power but death can stop the chat of ill tongues, nor imagination of mens minds, lest my owne relations of those hard euents might by some constructors bee made doubt full, I haue thought it best to insert the examinations of those proceedings. Capt. John Smith , True Travels, II. 208. Sometimes written constructer . Chief constructor, in naval administration, the officer charged with the general supervision of construction for the navy. In the United States he is the head of the Bureau of Construction and Repairs in the Navy Depart- ment. constructure (kon-struktūr), n. [ con- structure = It.costruttura , constructura , construct , and ef. structure .] 11. Construction; structure; fabric. They shall the earth's constructure closely bind. Black more . 2. In Scots law , a mode of industrial acce ion, whereby, if a house be repaired with the ma- terials of another, the materials accrue to the owner of the house, full reparation, however, being due to the owner of the materials. construe (kon's trö or kon-strö'), v . t .; pret.and pp. construed, ppr. construing. [Early mod. E. often conster ; ME.construen , constrewen , con- strue, interpret, construere , construe, con- struct: see construct, v.] 1. To arrange the words of in their natural order; reduce the words of from a transposed to a natural order, The con substantiating Church and priest Refuse communion to the Calvin ist. consubstantiation azione, They [the Luther ans] believe that the real body and blood of our Lord is united in a mysterious manner, through the consecration, with the bread and wine, and are received with and under them in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. This is called consubstantiation . Hooker . They, therefore, err, who say that we believe in impanation, or that Christ is in the bread and wine. Nor are those correct who charge us with believing subpanation, that Christ is under the form of bread and wine. And equally groundle is the charge of consubstantiation, or the belief that the body and blood of Christ are changed into one substance with the bread and wine. But the Luther an Church maintains that the Savior fulfils his promise, and is actually present, especially present in the Holy Supper in a manner not comprehensible to us and not defined in the Scriptures. Mosheim (trans.).