gnosis (nos is)

[ mystical knowledge. See Gnostic. The designation of mystery or vailing is applied to it [the occult or mystic system), as as having been vailed from all except the initiated. The doctrines thus concealed were denominated Gnosis or Knowledge, and Sophia, or wisdom, and were accounted too sacred for profane or vulgar inspection. A. Wilder , Knight's Anc. Art and Myth. (1876), p. 4. His [Origen's] gnosis neutralizes all that is empirical and historical, if not always as to its actuality, at least absolutely in respect of its value. Encyc. Brit ., XVII. 842. According as Gnosticism adopted one or other of these modes of explaining the existence of the present world, it fell into the two great divisions which, from their places gnu 2. Worldly-wise; knowing; clever or smart. [Humorous.] I said you were a d-d gnostic fellow, and I laid a bet you have not been always profe ional - that's all. Scott , St. Ronan's Well, v. 3. [ cap.] Pertaining to the Gnostics or to Gnosticism; cabalistic; theosophic. Marcion distinguished himself by his extreme opposition to Judaism, and generally by a Gnostic attitude at variance with the Old Testament. Encyc. Brit., X. 704. II. n. [ cap .] A member of one of certain rationalistic sects which arose in the Christian church in the first century, flourished in the second, and had almost entirely disappeared by the sixth. The Gnostics held that knowledge rather than faith was the road to heaven, and profe ed to have a peculiar knowledge of religious mysteries. They rejected the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, and at tempted to combine their teachings with those of the Greek and Oriental philosophies and religions. They held that God was the unknowable and the unapproachable; that from him proceeded, by emanation, subordinate deities termed eons, from whom again proceeded other still inferior spirits. The Gnostics were in general agreed in believing in the principles of dualism and Docetism and in the existence of a demiurge or world-creator. Christ they regarded as a superior eon, who had descended from Infinite God in order to subdue the god or eon of this world. Their chief seats were in Syria and Egypt, but their doctrines were taught everywhere, and at an early date they separated into a variety of sects. After Christianity began to be settled in the world, the greatest corrupters of it were the pretenders to divine Inspiration, as the false Apostles, the Gnosticks , the Mon tanists, and many others. Stilling fleet , Sermons, II. ii. Setting out from this principle, all the Gnostics agree in regarding this world as not proceeding immediately from the Supreme Being. Encyc . Brit ., X. 704. Gnostical (nos'ti-kal), a . [ Gnostic . Lipsius, one of the most recent and careful writers on the subject, arranges the Gnostical systems in a threefold order. Encyc. Brit ., X. 702. gnostically (nos'ti-kal-i), adv. 1. In a gnostie or knowing knowing manner; cleverly; knowingly. [Humorous.] "I say, little Sir Bingo," said the Squire, "this is the very fellow that we saw down at the Willow-slack on Saturday he was tog'd gnostically enough, and cast twelve yards of line with one hand-the fly fell like a thistle down 2. According to Gnosticism; after the method or manner of the Gnostics. Scott , St. Ronan's Well, iv. Gnosticism (nos'ti-sizm), n. [ Gnosticize (nos'ti-sīz), v. t.; pret. and pp. Gnos ticized, ppr. Gnostic i zing. [ to. He [Heracleon] sought ingeniously to gnosticize the whole book [the fourth Gospel] from beginning to end. E. H. Sears , The Fourth Gospel the Heart of Christ, p. 156. Attempts to Christianize paganism, to conciliate Judaism, or to gnosticize Christianity. Encyc . Brit ., XI. 854. Gnostidæ (nos'ti-dē), n. pl . [NL., -idæ .] A family of clavicorn beetles, taking name from the genus Gnostus , having three genera, of one tropical species each.. gnostology (nos-tol'ō-ji), n. [ -ology . ] Same as gnoseology . Gnostus (nos'tus), n. [NL. (West wood, 1855), γνώτός , known, to be known, γνῶναι , know: see gnosis, gnostic.] 1. The typical genus of bee- tles of the family Gnostida . The sole species is G. formic i cola of Brazil, which lives in ants' nests. It has normal eyes, but is notable in its antennæ, trophi, legs, venation, and number of abdominal segments. 2. A genus of bugs, of the family Capsid a . Fie- ber , 1858. gnowt. A Middle English preterit of gnaw . of origin, have received the respective names of the Alex-gnu (nu), n. [Also written gnoo; Encyc. Brit ., X. 704. The common Christian lives by faith, but the more advanced believer has gnosis , or philosophic insight of Christianity, as the eternal law of the soul. J. F. Clarke , Ten Great Religions, vi. § 7. gnostic (nos'tik), a . and n. [ Γνωστικός , > > LL. Gnostic us , a Gnostic; usually in pl.); fem. ἡ γνωστική, οι neut, τὸ γνωστικόν , the power or faculty of knowing (used with reference to γνῶσις , knowledge, esp. higher or deeper knowledge); γνωτός , verbal adj. of γιγνώ σκειν , γνῶναι = L. noscere = E. know : see know1 , gnomel, and cf. gnosis, agnostic, etc.] I. a. 1. Having knowledge; po e ing mystic or esoteric knowledge of spiritual things. Idealism is not nece arily either gnostic or agnostic, but is more apt to be the former than the latter. R. Flint , Mind, XIII. 596. IMG:content-2453.jpg:[merged small][graphic][merged small] gnu the antilopine division of the family Bovida; a wildebeest. The gnu has little of the appearance of an ordinary antelope, being a creature of singular shape, strangely combining characters which recall at once horse, a , and ox. There are two very distinct species, the common gnu, C. gnu, and the brindled gnu, C. gorgon, sometimes generically separated under the name Gorgon i a. The former stands about 4 feet high at the withers, and is about 5 feet long; the shoulders are hunched; the neck is maned like an a 's; the tail is long and flowing like a horse's; the head is like a buffalo's, with a broad muzzle, and beset with long bristly hairs; other long hairs hang from the dewlap and between the forelegs; there are horns in both sexes, in the male ma ive, meeting over the poll, then curving downward and outward and again turned up at the tip, like a muskox's; the color is brownish or blackish, with much white in the tail and mane. The brindled gnu is a larger animal, striped on the fore quarters, with black tail and more copious mane; it is known as the blue wildebeest, and by the Bechuan name kokon or ko koon. Both species inhabit southerly parts of Africa, in company with zebras and quaggas, and usually go in herds like other antelopes. go (go), v.; pret. went, pp. gone, ppr. going. [Sc. also gae; IMG:content-2454.png:[blocks in formation] Chaucer , Canon's Yeoman's Tale, 1. 196. allow. When half-gods go , The gods arrive. The phantom of a cup that comes and goes . Tennyson, Holy Grail. 4. To be or keep moving or acting; continue in progre or operation; maintain action or movement: as, the pre es are going day and night. Clocks will go as they are set; but man, Irregular man 's never constant, never certain. Otway. We do not believe any Government can keep different plants, completely outfitted for gun-work, going. Michael is, tr. of Month aye's Krupp and De Bange, p. 98. 5. To move in a course, or toward a point or a result; move or pa along; proceed; fare: used in an immaterial sense: as, everything is going well for our purpose. IMG:content-2455.png:[blocks in formation] Pepys, Diary, April 15, 1661. Courage, Friend; To-day is your Period of Sorrow; And things will go better, believe me, To-morrow. Prior, The Thief and the Cordelier. Whether the cause goes for me or against me, you must pay me the reward. Watts, Logic. One that had been strong, And might be dangerous still, if things went wrong. O. W. Holmes, The Island Ruin. confused (see gang ); but such a contraction is otherwise unexampled (the contraction in AS. fon, take, hôn, hang, from the fuller form represented by the E. fang, hang, q. v., being different), and is, on phonetic and other grounds, improbable. The form of the appar. root (Teut. ✓ gai ), the form of the pret. (AS. eode, Goth. iddja ), and the fact that the prolific and widespread Indo-Eur. Vi, go, is otherwise scarcely represented in Teut. (unle in OHG. ilen, G. eilen = Dan. ile = Sw. ila, hasten; AS. ile = OFries. ile = Icel. il, the sole of the foot), give some probability to the conjecture that the Teut. V gai stands for * ga - i, being the generalizing prefix, Goth. ga-, AS., etc., ge- (see i-1), + √i, go. The AS. pres. ind. 1 gā, 2 gæst, 3 gth = Goth. as if 1 * ga - im, 2 * ga - is, 3 * ga - ith, equiv. to the simple forms 1 * im, 2 * is, 3 * ith (disused perhaps because of po ible confusion with similar forms of the verb be, namely, 1 im, 2 is, 3 ist = E. 1 am, 2 art, 3 is ); = L. ire (pres. ind. 1 eo, 2 is, 3 it) = Gr. ιέναι (pres. ind. 1 εἶμι, 2 εἶ, εἶς, 3 εἰσι) = Skt. Vi (pres. ind. 1 emi, 2 eshi, 3 eti, etc.) = Lith. eiti = OBulg. iti, go. In this view, the pret., AS. eode, Goth. iddja, etc. (in comp. ge - eode, ME. zeode, zede, gode, E. obs. yede, yode, with occas. pres. yede, yead ), appar. from a different root, is formed from the same root * i, without the prefix.) I. in trans. 1. Το move; pa ; proceed; be in motion or pa from one point to another by any means or in any manner, as by walking, running, or other action of the limbs, by riding, etc. To the hors he goth him faire and wel. Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, 1. 142. A gladere wommon vnder God no mizt go on erthe, Than was the wif with the child. William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 67. The wind blowing hard at N. E., there went so great a surf as they had much to do to land. Winthrop, Hist. New England, I. 231. But the standing toast, that pleased the most, Was the wind that blows, the ship that goes , And the la that loves a sailor. Dibdin , The La that Loves a Sailor. [In this sense the word is sometimes used elliptically so as to appear transitive. See second series of phrases below. When they go their Proce ions, with these beasts displayed in their Banners, euery one falleth downe and doth worshippe. Purchas , Pilgrimage, p. 574.] 2. To take steps as in walking; move step by step; walk, as distinguished from running or riding: as, the child begins to go alone. I may not goon so fer, quod sche, ne ryde. Chaucer, Friar's Tale, 1. 295. A lytell from thens to war des Jherusalem is the welle of Jacob, where our Sauyour Criste, wery of goynge , syttyng vpon the welle, axed water of the woman Samaritan. Sir R. Guylforde , Pylgrymage, p. 52. I purpose to teach a yong scholer to go , not to daunce. Ascham, The Scholemaster, p. 151. Our souls can neither fly nor go To reach immortal joys. Watts, Come, Holy Spirit. 3. To pa out or away; depart; move from a place: opposed to come or arrive: as, the mail comes and goes every day. be in circulation; have currency or circulation; circulate: as, so the story goes. And the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. 1 Sam. xvii. 12. Thus went the Tradition there. Howell , Letters, I. v. 11. In any Kings heart, as Kings goe now, what shadowie conceit or groundle toy will not create a jealousie. Milton , Eikon ok las tes, iii. Sylvia's mother had never stinted him in his meat, or grudged him his share of the best that was going . Mrs. Gaskell, Sylvia's Lovers, xliii. 7. To apply; be applicable; be suited or adapted; fit: as, the song goes to an old tune. You must know I con'd this Song before I came in, and find it will go to an excellent Air of old Mr. Laws's. Steele , Grief A-la-Mode, ii. 1. 8. To apply one's self; set or betake one's self; have recourse; resort: as, to go to law; to go to borrowing. Seeing himself confronted by so many, like a resolute orator he went not to denial, but to justify his cruel falsehood. Sir P. Sidney. Next we went in hand to draw up his commi ion and instructions. Winthrop, Hist. New England, II. 359. 9. To be about (to do something); have in thought or purpose: chiefly in the present participle with be : as, I was going to send for you; I am going to ride. IMG:content-2456.png:[blocks in formation] Mitchel.. wrote a clear, bold, incisive prose, keen in its scorn and satire, going directly to the heart of its purpose. J. McCarthy, Hist. Own Times, xviii. 16. To tend toward a result or consequence; reach; conduce; contribute: frequently with to, into, or toward: as, his conce ions will go far toward a reconciliation. Something better and greater than high birth and quality must go towards acquiring those demonstrations of public esteem and love. Swift , To Pope. 17. To contribute in amount or quantity; be requisite or present (to); be nece ary as a component or a cause: as, in troy weight 12 ounces go to the pound. What little or no pains goes to some people! Middle ton, Game at Che , ii. 1. Truly there goes a great deal of providence to produce a man's life unto threescore. Sir T. Browne , Religio Medici, i. 43. 18. To pa off well; move briskly; take; succeed: as, the play goes well. Society has invented no infliction equal to a large dinner that does not go , as the phrase is. Why it does not go when the viands are good and the company is bright, is one of the acknowledged mysteries. Harper's Mag., LXXVI. 808. 19. To depart from life; decease; die. Unle I have a doctor, mine own doctor, That may a ure me, I am gone. Fletcher (and another ?), Prophete , iv. 2. She sinks again; Again she's gone , she's gone , gone as a shadow; She sinks forever, friend! Beau . and Fl ., Knight of Malta, iv. 2. Poor Ned Poppy - he's gone - was a very honest man. Steele , Guardian, No. 42. Sweeter far is death than life to me that long to go . Tennyson, May Queen, Conclusion. 20. To pa or be resolved into another state or condition; a ume, resume, or appear conspicuously in any state or condition; become: as, to go crazy; the State will go Democratic or Republican. Sneer. Why in white satin? Puff . O Lord, sir - when a heroine goes mad, she always goes into white satin. Sheridan, The Critic, iii. 1. Why did the beer go bad? was the great question to be solved, and this was solved by Pasteur. Nineteenth Century, XXIV. 844. 21. To appear: with reference to manner or dre . She that was ever fair, and never proud, Never lack'd gold, and yet went never gay. Shak., Othello, ii. 1. Himself a gallant, that...can. go richly in embroideries, jewels, and what not. B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, v. 3. His brave clothes to0 He has flung away, and goes like one of us now. Fletcher (and another ), False One, iv. 3. All Women going here veiled, and their Habit so gen- erally alike, one can hardly distinguish a Counte from a Cobbler's Wife. Howell , Letters, L. iii. 32. 22. To give way; break or tear from a fastening. [Colloq.] Here is the tear. Once had the early matrons run To greet her of a lovely son; And now with second hope she goes , And calls Lucina to her throes. Milton, Ep. M. of Win. 12. To be parted with by expenditure or in exchange; be disposed of, sold, or paid out: as, the article went for half its value; the money goes too fast. What an escape I had at the sale of Dr. Mead's library, which goes extremely dear. Walpole, Letters, II. 412. Eggs don't go for but ninepence in Livings ton or anywhere else. S. Judd, Margaret, i. 6. 13. To escape from hold or detention; be loosed, released, or freed: only with let: as, let me go; let go his hand. Let go that rude uncivil touch. 14. To extend; reach; lead: as, the wall goes from one house to the other; this road goes to Edinburgh. Shak ., T. G. of V., v. 4. The walls extend further north, and go up the middle of a small high hill. Pococke , Description of the East, II. ii. 87. The Household includes the descendants of a common great-grandfather, but goes no farther. W. E. Hearn, Aryan Household, p. 181. 15. To extend in effect, meaning, or purport; be of force or value; avail: as, the explanation goes for nothing. I caught against the flower-pot C. Reade, Love me Little, xiv. 23. To proceed; operate; exercise any kind of activity. Then the water was thrown on them (the people), and they crouded to wipe the vase with their handkerchiefs, and went so far as to take the herbs out of the caldron in which the water was boiled. Pococke , Description of the East, II. i. 18. Duke of Newcastle is going greater lengths in Walpole , Letters, II. 104. 24. To come into action or activity; start into motion: as, bang went the gun. everything for which he overturned Lord Granville. The Chimes went Twelve: the Guests withdrew. Prior, Hans Carvel. His noble heart went pit-a-pat, And to himself he said "What's that?" Cowper , Retired Cat. 25. To belong in place or situation; require to be put: as, this book goes on the top shelf.Been and gone and. See been and, under bel. From the word go, from the start, as in a race: said of any exertion or competition. [Colloq.] - Get you gone. See get1. Gone to the bow-wows. See bow - wow. - Go to, come now: an interjectional phrase, often used in contempt. [Obsolete or archaic.] IMG:content-2457.png:[blocks in formation] Go to , go to , thou art a foolish fellow. Shak . , T. N., iv. 1. Go to the devil! See devil. To come and go. See come . To go aboard. See aboard1 . To go about. (a) [ About , adv.] To exert one's self, as for an object; make efforts, take measures. A The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: Dictionary go He goeth about to di uade the king from his supremacy. Latimer , 5th Sermon bef. Edw. VI., 1549. They went about to slay him.