offenseless, offenceless (ofensles)

[ Even so as one would beat his offencele dog, to affright an imperious lion. Shak., Othello, ii. 3. 275. offense les sly, of fence les sly (o-fens'les-li), adv . Inoffensively; harmle ly. offensible-fensibles, offensive, LL. offensibilis, liable to stumble, L. offendere, pp. of fens us, stumble against, offend: see offend.] Causing offense; offensive. Those who wil take in hand any enterprise that naturally is seditious or offensible haue not to consider of the occasion that moueth them to rise, but only the good & euil end which therof may proceede. Guevara, Letters (tr. by Hellowes, 1577), p. 239. offensiont (o-fen's hon), n. [ME. offensioun , of ens i on = Pg. offensão = It. of fens i one , offensio ( n- ), a striking against, offense, offendere , pp. of fens us , offend: see of fend .] A ault; attack. My berd, myn heer that hongeth longe adoun, That nevere yit ne felte offensioun Of rasour nor of schere, Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 1558. of fens i oust, offencioust (o-fen's hus), a . [ of fens i ( on ) + -ous .] Offensive. Ret . 'Tis Ramus, the king's profe or of logic. Gui . Stab him! Ram . Oh! good my lord, wherein hath Ramus been so of fen cio us ? Marlowe , Ma acre at Paris, i. 8. notice; hold out to notice or for acceptance; present: sometimes used reflexively. And as ye offre you to me, so I offre me to yow with trewe herte. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 482. A mixed scene offers itself. Burton , Anat. of Mel., p. 613. I offer it to the reason of any Man, whether he think the knowledg of Christian Religion harder than any other Art or Science to attain. Milton , Touching Hirelings. Who shall say what prospect life offers to another? Thoreau, Walden, p. 13. 2. To present for acceptance or rejection; tender or make tender of; hence, to bid or tender as a price: as, to offer ten dollars for a thing. offering I was afeard he would have flung a stone at my head, or otherwise have offered some violence to me. Coryat , Crudities, I. 126. Offering to returne to the Boat, the Salvages a ayed to carry him away perforce. Quoted in Capt . John Smith's Works, I. 184. I rose up, and placed him in my own seat: a compliment I pay to few. The first thing he uttered was, "Isaac, fetch me a cup of your cherry-brandy before you offer to ask any question. Steele , Tatler, No. 266. =Syn. 1 and 2. Adduce , Allege , A ign , etc. (see adduce ), exhibit, extend, hold out, furnish, give, propound, propose, show, move. II. in trans. 1. To present itself; come into view or be at hand: as, an opportunity now offers. Th' occasion offers , and the youth complies. Dryden. 2. To present or make an offering; offer up prayer, thanks, etc.; present a eucharistic obla tion. By water to White Hall, and there to chapel in my pew. And then the King come down and offered , and took the sacrament upon his knees. Pepys , Diary, I. 280. 31. To present one's self in order to pay court or respects; pay one's respects. The oath which obliges the knights, whenever they are within two miles of Windsor, to go and offer . Walpole , Letters, II. 168. 4t. To act on the offensive; deal a blow. Gaffray a stroke gaffe tho his sculle vppon, He offeryng so, the helme rent and foulle raide. Rom. of Partenay (E. E. T. S.), 1. 3090. So that his power, like to a fangle lion, May offer , but not hold. Shak ., 2 Hen. IV., iv. 1. 219. To offer at, to make an attempt at; e ay: as, the horse offered at the leap; I will not offer at that which I cannot Offering at wit too? why, Galla, do. Where hast thou been? B. Jonson, Cat i line, ii. 1.