excusable (ekskuzabl)

[ Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that - That were excusable , that, and you sands more Of semblable import-but he hath wag'd New wars 'gainst Pompey. Shak ., A. and C., iii. 4. A little timidity is excusable in a statesman placed in a prominent station. Whipple , E . and Rev., I. 194. 2. Admitting of excuse or palliation: as, an ex cusable delay. Before the Gospel impenitency was much more excusa ble , because men were ignorant. Til lots on . Excusable homicide. See homicide2.=Syn. Pardon a ble, etc. See venial. Excusable, Justifiable. An action injurious to another is excusable when not entirely free from blame yet not ill-intentioned or culpably negligent; just in able, when so far provoked or nece itated as to be entirely free from blame. These sort of speeches, i uing from just and honest indignation, are sometimes excusable , sometimes commendable. Barrow , Works, I. xvi. Clive was more than Omichund's match in Omichund's own arts. The man, he said, was a villain. Any artifice which would defeat such knavery was justifiable . Macaulay , Lord Clive. IMG:content-0877.png:[blocks in formation] for; serve as justification for; justify. Ignorance of the Law excuses no man. Selden , Table-Talk, p. 65. He alleges the uprightne of his intentions to excuse his po ible failings. Milton , Eikon ok las tes, vi. The sinne or ignoraunce of the priestes shall not excuse the people. Spenser, State of Ireland. 3. To pardon, as a fault; forgive entirely, or overlook as venial or not blameworthy. I must excuse What cannot be amended. Shak ., Cor., iv. 7. 4. To free or release from an obligation or duty; release by favor. In the evening he sent me out of the Palace, desiring to be excused , that he could not entertain me all night. Dampier , Voyages, II. 1. 99. Luke xiv. 19. I pray thee have me excused . 5. To remit; refrain from exacting: as, to exexacting cuse a fine.-6. To regard, permit, or receive with indulgence. Excuse some courtly strains. Pope , Imit, of Horace, II. i. 215. If ever despondency and asperity could be excused in any man, they might have been excused in Milton. Macaulay , Milton. 7. To shield from blame. When he was at school he was whipped thrice a week for faults he took upon him to excuse others. Steele, Spectator, No. 82. =Syn. 2. To extenuate.-4. To exempt, release, let off. excuse (eks-kūs'), n. [F. excuse = Sp. excusa = Pg . escusa = It. scusa , an excuse; from the verb.] 1. The act of excusing or apologizing, exculpating or justifying. Heaven put it in thy mind to take it hence, That thou might'st win the more thy father's love, Pleading so wisely in excuse of it. Shak., 2 Hen. IV., iv. 4. 2. A plea offered or reason given in extenuation of a fault or a failure in duty; an apology: as, the debtor makes excuses for delay of payment. Noo man then be absent wt-oute a res on able and sufficiaunt excuse , vppon payne of euery Broder absente a li. of wax, to be paied to the Gilde. English Gilds (E. E. T. S.), p. 188. They ever returning, and the planters so farre absent, who could contradict their excuses ? Capt. John Smith , True Travels, I. 145. I reject, at once, all such defence, excuse , or apology, or whatever else it may be called. D. Webster , Speech, Jan. 24, 1832. 3. That which serves as a reason or ground for excusing; an extenuating or justifying fact or argument, or what is adduced as such by way of apology or to secure pardon. My nephew's trespa may be well forgot, It hath the excuse of youth. Shak., 1 Hen. IV., v. 2. There is no excuse to forget what everything prompts unto us. Sir T. Browne , Christ. Mor., iii. 10. If eyes were made for seeing, Then beauty is its own excuse for being. IMG:content-0878.png:[blocks in formation] 2. One who excuses or accepts the excuse or apology of another. excusiont, n. Execution. Chaucer. excu (eks-kus'), v. t. [ excu us , pp. of excutere , shake out or off, ex , out, + quatere , shake: see quash. Cf.concu , discu , percu . ] 1t. To shake off or out; get rid of. Try whether you can make a Conquest of yourself, in subduing this execrable custom [of swearing]. Howell, Letters, I. v. 11. Whence and what art thou, execrable shape? Milton , P. L., ii. 681. But is an enemy so execrable that, though in captivity, his wishes and comforts are to be disregarded and even cro ed? I think not. Jefferson , Correspondence, I. 159. 2. Very bad; intolerable: as, an execrable pun. [Colloq.]-3t. Piteous; lamentable; cruel. R. Hill , Pathway to Pity (1629), p. 49. =Syn. Flagitious , Villainous , etc. (see nefarious ) , cursed, accursed, detestable; odious. execrablene (ek'sē-kra-bl-nes), n . The state of being execrable. [Rare.] execrably (ek'sē-kra-bli), adv . In an execrable manner; detestably. Such a person deserved to bear the guilt of a fact so ex- ecrably base. Barrow, Works, II. xxvi. execrate (ek'sē-krāt), v . t .; pret. and pp. exe- crated, ppr. execrating. [L. exec ratus, exse- cratus , pp. of execrare , exsecrare (= It. esecrare = Sp. Pg. execrar = F. exécrer ), take a solemn oath with imprecations, curse, ex , out, + sa- crare, consecrate, also declare accursed: see sacred . Cf. consecrate , desecrate .] 1. To curse; imprecate evil upon; hence, to detest utterly; abhor; abominate. They gaze upon the links that hold them fast, With eyes of anguish, execrate their lot, Then shake them in despair and dance again. He [Pitt] execrated the Han over i an connection, [then] declared that Hanover ought to be as dear to us as Hampshire. Macaulay , William Pitt. He was very generally execrated as the real source of the disturbances of the kingdom. Pre scott, Ferd. and Isa., i. 3. 21. To declare to be accursed; denounce as deserving to be cursed or abominated. As if mere plebeian noise were enough to... execrate anything as devilish. Jer. Taylor (?), Artif. Handsomene , p. 156. The learned Le Fevre wrote a most elegant copy of Latin verses, execrating the flute and all the commentators on Colman , Comedies of Terence, Pref., p. 33. To take some pains in excu ing some old documents. F. Junius . =Syn. See comparison under malediction . execration (ek-sē krāshon), n. [= F. exé- cration = Sp . execracion = Pg. execração = It. esecrazione , exec ratio (n-), exsecratio (n-), a cursing, execrare , curse: see execrate .] diction; utter detestation expre ed. 3. To seize and detain by law, as goods. The person of a man ought not, by the civil law, to be The act of cursing; imprecation of evil; male- taken for a debt, unle his goods and estate have been first excu ed . Ayliffe , Parergon. excu iont (eks-kush'on), n. [= Sp.excusion = Pg . excu ão = It. escu ione , excu io ( n- ) , a shaking down, excutere , pp. excu us , shake out: see excu .] 1. The act of excu - ing, discu ing, unfolding, or deciphering; dis- cu ion. IMG:content-0879.png:[blocks in formation] They shall be an execration , and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. Jer. xliv. 12. exec rat i oust (ek-se-krā'shus), a . [ execrati -on + -ous.] Imprecatory; cursing; execrative. A whole volley of such like exec ratio us wishes. executant (eg-zek'u-tant), n. [F. exécutant , ppr. of exécuter , execute: see execute .] One who executes or performs; specifically, in mu- sic , a performer, whether vocal or instrumental. Great executants on the organ. De Quincey. Rosamond, with the executant's instinct, had seized his manner of playing. George Eliot , Middle march, xvi. The executant may be congratulated upon his re- They were as ferfent as ony fyre To execute her lordys byddyng. IMG:content-0880.png:[blocks in formation] execratory (ek'sē-krā-tō-ri), a. and n. [LL. as if * execrator i us , e * exsecratorius , execrare , exsecrare, curse: see execrate .] I. a. Denun- ciatory; abusive. I shall take the liberty of narrating Lance lot's fanatical conduct without execratory comment, certain that he will still receive his just reward of condemnation. Kingsley, Yeast, xiv. II. n.; pl. execratories (-riz). A formulary of execration. This notice of the ceremony is very agreeable to the execratory which is now used by them, wherein they pro- foundly curse the Christians. L. Add is on , State of the Jews, p. 179. exectt, v. t. See exsect . exectiont, n. See exsection . executable (ek'sē-ku-ta-bl), a . [= F. exécu- table = Sp. ejecutable ; as execute + -able .] Ca- pable of being executed or carried out. The whole project is set down as executable at eight Edinburgh Rev. , Jan., 1856, p. 244. millions. There comes a fellow crying out for help, And Ca io following him with determin'd sword, To execute upon him. Shak ., Othello, ii. 3. Judgment commands, But resolution executes. Ford , Broken Heart, i. 2. With courage on he goes; doth execute With counsel; and returns with victory. Chaucer, Troilus, iii. 622. One who performs executer (ek'sē-kū-tėr), n. or carries into effect. See executor . executer Would it not redound to the discredit of an earthly prince, to permit, that the executers of his edicts should have the least injury offered them? Barrow, Works, I. xii.