actless

[Eng. act; -le .] Without action. ắc-tổn, *ăc-ke-toun, s. [Fr. hoqueton; O. Fr. auqueton, haucton; Ger. hockete, from Low Lat. aketon, acton. Matthew Paris calls it alcalto.] 1. A kind of quilted leathern jacket or vest, worn in the Middle Ages under a coat of mail. "But Cranstoun's lance, of more avail, Pierced through, like silk, the Borderer's mail; Through shield, and jack, and acton past, Deep in his bosom broke at last. Scott: Lay of the Last Minstrel, iii. 6. 2. The coat of mail itself. "Hys fomen were well boun To perce hys acketoun." Lybeaus Disc on us , 1. 1,175. ăc-tõr, s. [In Fr. acteur ; Ital. attore , from Lat. ceter=one who drives or sets in motion; one who does or accomplishes anything; one who acts upon the stage. Law Lat. = a plaintiff or defendant.] [ACT.] 1. One who acts or performs any part upon the stage. When a good actor doth his part present In every act he our attention draws; That at the last he may find just applause." Denham . 2. One who takes a part in any drama of actual life, especially if that drama be of an important character. "The mayor was a simple man who had pa ed his whole life in in obscurity, and was bewildered by finding himself an important actor in a mighty revolution."Macaulay: Hist . Eng ., ch. x. 3. Among civilians : An advocate or proctor in civil courts or causes. IMG:content-0142.png:[blocks in formation] 2. A female who acts upon the stage. "They were almost always recited by favourite actre es."-Macaulay: Hist . Eng . , ch. iii. There were few, if any, actre es till after the Restoration of Charles II. Prior to this epoch, female parts in plays were performed by boys, as was the case in Shakespeare's time. 3. A real or imaginary female who performs her part in ordinary life. "Virgil has indeed admitted Fame, as an actre , in the Eneid : but the part she acts is very short, and none of the most admired circumstances of of that divine work."- Add is on . ắc'-tu-al (0. Scotch, ăc-tu-all), a. [In Fr. actuel; Ital. attuale, fr. Lat. actual is = active, practical.] A. Ordinary Language: *L. Involving action as opposed to rest "Besides her walking and other actual perform ances."-Shakesp.: Macbeth, v. 1. II. Real, in point of fact existing. 1. Existing in act or really, as opposed to existing no more than potentially; in action, in operation at the moment. "Sin, there in pow'r, before Once actual ; now in body, and to dwell Habitual habitant." Milton: Par. Lost, bk. z. See also example under B. 1. 2. Existing in fact or in reality, instead of being simply imagined. (a) Opposed to theoretical, speculative, imagined, or hypothetically a umed. "The mimic pa ion of his eye Was turned to actual agony." ".. -Owen : Scott: Rokeby, vi. 10. viewed by the light of actual knowledge." heen Cla if, of the Mammal i a, p. 101. "Actual may be opposed to theoretical"-Mar tineau Comte's Positive Philosophy , ch. i., p. 3. (b) Opposed to figurative or allegorical Speaking of divine and angelic communications to man in Paradise, Words worth says,"Whether of actual vision, sensible To sight and feeling, or that in this sort Have condescendingly been shadow'd forth Communications spiritually maintain'd, And intentions moral and divine. Words worth: Excursion 3. Existing as a case to be settled at present, in contradistinction to one disposed of at some bygone period. it is nece ary to understand the circumstances of the cases adduced as precedents, in order to be able to apply them with propriety to the actual case under discu ion."-Lewis: Credibility of Early Roman Hist., ch. iv., § 5, vol. i B. Technically : 1. Nat. Phil. Actual or dynamic energy: Energy po e ed by a body or bodies already in motion. "Energy is po e ed by bodies already in motion; it is then actual , and we agree to call it active or dynamic energy."-Tyndall: Frag. of Science , i. 23. The 2. Law . Actual as opposed to apparent right of po e ion of property is one which will stand the test against all comers. actual po e ion by a person of any property creates the presumption that he is its rightful owner. This presumption may be overthrown by proof adduced by a claimant that the property really is his but unle he urge his suit, his right will ultimately lapse, and the wrongful po e or become the legal owner. *3. 0. Scotch Law and Ch. Hist. An actual minister: One ordained to the ministry, and not simply a probationer licensed to preach. he always being an actuall minister of the kirk, and sall elect none other than ane actuall minister to be so nominat and recommend it be his maiestye."-Acts Ja. VI . (1617), p. 529. 4. Theol. Actual sins: Those committed by the individual himself, as contradistinguished from original sin, that of Adam, the father of the race. ăc-tu-al-i-ty, s. [ACTUAL.] The state of being actual; reality. "The actuality of these these spiritual qualities is thus imprisoned, though their potentiality be not quite destroyed."-Cheyne.