mettle (metl)

[A former vernacular spelling of metal, in all uses; now confined to fig. senses.] 1t. Same as metal. Then John pull'd out his good broad sword, That was made of the mettle so free. such jurisdiction. Stubbs, Const. Hist., § 38 Canterbury is... the metropolitical cathedral - i. e., the cathedral of the metropolitan. N. and Q., 5th ser., X. 397. metrorrhagia (me-trō-rā'ji-ä), n. [NL., matrix ), + -ραγία, ῥηγνύναι , break, burst.] Uterine hemorrhage; an effu sion of blood from the inner surface of the uterus in the menstrual period, or at other times. Buck's Handbook of Med. Sciences, III. 28. Johnie Arm strang (Child's Ballads, VI. 43). My name is John Little, a man of good mettle ; Ne'er doubt me, for I'll play my part. Robin Hood and Little John (Child's Ballads, V. 221). Every man living. shall a uredly meet with an hour of temptation, a certain critical hour, which shall more especially try what mettle his heart is made of. South , Sermons, VI. vii. Romsdal's Horn will try the mettle of the Alpine Club when they have conquered Switzerland. Froude, Sketches, p. 83. ... mew 3. Natural temperament; specifically, a masculine and ardent temperament; spirit; courage; ardor; enthusiasm. They... tell me flatly I am no proud Jack, like Falstaff; but a Corinthian, a lad of mettle . Shak ., 1 Hen. IV., ii. 4. 13. Her [a falcon's] mettle makes her carele of danger. I. Walton , Complete Angler, p. 25. The winged courser, like a generous horse, Shows most true mettle when you check his course. Pope , E ay on Criticism, 1. 87. To put one on or to his mettle, to put one's spirit, courage, or energy to the test. It puts us on our mettle to see our old enemies the French taking the work with us. Lever , Davenport Dunn, xiii. ( Hoppe .) Not that we slacken in our pace the while, not we: we rather put the bits of blood upon their mettle. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxxvi. ( Hoppe .) mettled (met'ld), a . [Formerly spelled metaled ; mettle , metal , + -ed2.] Full of mettle or courage; spirited. In manhood he is a mettled man, And a mettle-man by trade. Robin Hood and the Tinker (Child's Ballads, V. 237). I am now come to a more chearful Country, and amongst a People somewhat more vigorous and metaled , being not so heavy as the Hollander, or homely as they of Zealand. Howell , Letters, I. i. 12. A horseman, darting from the crowd, Spurs on his mettled courser proud. IMG:content-0571.png:[graphic] Scott , Marmion, i. 3. mettlesome (met'l-sum), a. [ Jockies have particular Sounds and Whistles, and Stroakings, and other Methods to sooth Horses that are mettlesome. N. Bailey , tr. of Colloquies of Erasmus, I. 247. mettlesomely (met'l-sum-li), adv . In a mettlesome manner; with spirit.