writable

[Eng. writ(e); -able.] Capable of being written down. "The talk was by no means writable ." -Mad. D' Arblay: Diary , ii. 168. *writ-a-tive, a. [Formed from write in imitation of talkative .] Given to writing, disposed or inclined to write. "Increase of years makes men more talkative but le writative." -Pope: Letter to Swift. write (pa. t. * writ, * wroot, wrote; pa. par. * writ, *y- write, writte, written, wryten), v. t. & i. [A. S. writ an (pa. t. wrát , pa. par. writen )=to write, to inscribe (orig.=to score, to engrave); cogn. with O. S. writ an =to cut, to injure, to write; Dut. rijten = to tear, to split; Icel. rit a (pa. t. reit , pa. par. ritinn ) =to scratch, to cut, to write; Sw. rit a =to draw, to delineate; O. H. Ger. riz an to cut, to tear, to split, to draw or delineate; Ger. rei en (pa. t. ri , pa. par. geri en ). The original sense was that of cutting or scratching with a sharp instrument; hence, to engrave; cf. Goth. writs a stroke made with a pen.] A. Transitive: I. Literally: 1. To form or trace as with a pen, pencil, or the like, on paper or other material, or by a graver on wood, .; as, to write letters, to write figures. 2. To produce, form, or make by tracing legible characters expre ive of ideas; to set down or expre in letters or words: to trace or set down by means of a pen, pencil, or other instrument the constituent signs, characters, or words of. "To cipher what is writ in learned books." Shakesp.: Rape of Lucrece, 811. 3. To make known, expre , disclose, announce, communicate, or convey by means of characters formed by the pen, . "I choose to write the thing I dare not speak." Prior. 4. To cover with characters representing words. "Till she have writ a sheet of paper." --Shakesp.: Much Ado , ii. 3. 5. To compose and produce as an author. "Read here and wonder: Fletcher writ the play." Beaum. & Flet.: Elder Brother. (To the Reader.) 6. To designate by or in writing; to style in writing; to entitle, to declare. "Write me down an a ." -Shakesp.: Much Ado , iv. 2. 4555 1. To form or trace characters with a pen, pencil, or other instrument, upon paper or other material; to perform the act of tracing or forming characters so as to represent sounds or ideas. " Write till your ink be dry." Shakesp.: Two Gentlemen, iii. 2. 2. To be regularly or customarily employed, occupied, or engaged in writing, copying, or drawing up documents, book-keeping, or the like; to follow the busine , occupation, or profe ion of a clerk, amanuensis, secretary, book-keeper, . 3. To combine or compose ideas and expre them on paper for the information, instruction, or enjoy ment of others; to be engaged in literary work; to compose or produce articles, books, ., as an author. "I lived to write , and wrote to live." Rogers: Italy; A Character , 16. 4. To conduct epistolary correspondence; to correspond by means of letters; to communicate information by letter, or the like; as, I will write to you shortly. *5. To declare. "I will write against it."-Shakesp.: Much Ado, iv. 1. 1. To write down: (1) To trace or form with the pen, pencil, or other instrument; to record, as, to write down anything from dictation. (2) To depreciate the character, reputation, or quality of by writing unfavorably concerning: to criticize unfavorably; to put an end to by writing against; as, to write down a play. 2. To write off : To note or record the deduction, canceling, or removing of; as, to write off a bad debt. 3. To write out: (1) To make a copy or transcription of; to copy, to transcribe; especially to make a fair or complete copy of from a rough draft. (2) To exhaust the ideas or power of producing valuable literary work by too much writing. (Used reflexively; as, He has written himself out .) 4. To write up : (1) To commend, heighten, or raise the reputation, character, quality, or value of by written reports or criticisms; to bring into public notice or estimation by favorable criticisms or accounts of; as, to write up a play or author. (2) To give the full details of in writing; to elaborate; to work up; to set down on paper with com pletene of detail, fullne , elaboratene , or the like; as, to write up a report or account from notes or outlines. (3) To complete the transcription or inscription of; specifically, in bookkeeping, to make the requi site entries in up to date; to post up; as, to write up a trader's books. *write, s . [WRITE, v . ] Writing; handwriting. "It was a short, but a well-written letter, in a fair hand of write."- Galt : Annals of the Parish , ch. i. *write-of-hand, s. Handwriting. ( Prov .) "A could wish that a'd learned write of hand."-Mrs. Gaskell: Sylvia's Lovers, ch. xliii. *writ-ee, s . [Eng. writ(e): -ee.] The person to whom a written document is addre ed; and so the reader. "There is ever a proportion between the writer's wit and the writee's ."- Chapman : Homer's Iliad, xiv. (Com ment.) writer, subst. [A. S. writere , from writ an = to write (q.v.).] One who writes; one who has writ ten, or is in the habit of writing. Specifically 1. One who is skilled in penmanship; one whose occupation consists chiefly in using the pen, as a clerk, an amanuensis, a scribe; more especially a title given (1) To clerks in the service of the late East India Company. *8. To claim as a title; to call one's self. "I write man."-Shakesp.: All's Well , ii. 8. IMG:content-1059.png:[blocks in formation] sticks, formerly used as a means of keeping the accounts of the Exchequer. [TALLY, 8.] (2) Writer to the signet: [SIGNET.] writer's cramp, writer's paralysis, s. Pathol.: Scrivener's palsy (q. v.). chin, bench; go, gem; thin, this; writing