secure (sekur)

[= F. súr, OF. seür (> E. sure ) = Pr. segur = Sp. Pg. seguro = It. sicuro, secure, sure, L. securus, of persons, free from care, quiet, easy; in a bad sense, carele , reckle ; of things, tranquil, also free from danger, safe, secure; But we be secure and uncareful, as though false prophets could not meddle with us. Latimer , Remains (ed. 1845), p. 365. Dryden. securely To whom the Cretan thus his speech addrest: Secure of me, Oking! exhort the rest. Pope , Iliad, iv. 303. Under thy friendly conduct will I fly To regions unexplored, secure to share Thy state. Dryden, Sig. and Guis., 1. 678. 3. Free from danger; unexposed to danger; safe: frequently with against or from, and formerly of: as, secure against the attacks of the enemy. Secure of thunder's crack or lightning flash. Shak., Tit. And., ii. 1. 3. For me, secure from fortune's blows, Secure of what I cannot lose, In my small pinnace I can sail. Dryden, tr. of Horace's Odes, i. 29. It was thought the roads would be more secure about the time when the great caravan was pa ing. Pococke , Description of the East, II. i. 5. 4. In safe custody or keeping. In iron walls they deem'd me not secure . Shak., 1 Hen. VI., i. 4. 49. I suppose your own prudence will enforce the nece ity of di embling, at least till your son has the young lady's fortune secure, Goldsmith, Vicar, ii. 5. Of such firmne , stability, or strength as to insure safety, or preclude risk of failure or accident; stanch, firm, or stable, and fit for the purpose intended: as, to make a bridge secure; a secure foundation. = Syn. 3. See safe. secure (sē-kūr'), v. t.; pret. and pp. secured, ppr. securing. [= Sp. Pg. segurar = It. sicu rare; from the adj. Cf. sure, v.] 1. To make easy or carele ; free from care, anxiety, or fear. Why dost thou weep? Canst thou the conscience lack To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart. Shak., T. of A., ii. 2. 185. 2. To make safe or secure; guard from danger; protect: as, a city secured by fortifications. If this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. Mat. xxviii. 14. We'll higher to the mountains; there secure us. Shak., Cymbeline, iv. 4. 8. For Woods before, and Hills behind, Secur'd it both from Rain and Wind. IMG:content-0492.png:[blocks in formation] 4. To make sure of payment, as by a bond, surety, etc.; warrant or guarantee against lo : as, to secure a debt by mortgage; to secure a creditor.-5. To make fast or firm: as, to se cure a window; to secure the hatches of a ship. -6. To seize and confine; place in safe custody or keeping: as, to secure a prisoner.-7. In surg., to seize and occlude by ligature or otherwise, as a vein or an artery, to prevent lo of blood during or as a consequence of an operation.-8. To get hold or po e ion of; make one's self master of; obtain; gain: as, to secure an estate for a small sum; to secure the attention of an audience; to secure a hearing at court. They adapted their tunes exactly to the nature of each person, in order to captivate and secure him. Bacon , Moral Fables, vi. The beauteous Lady Tragabigzanda, when I was a slaue to the Turkes, did all she could to secure me. Capt. John Smith , Works, I. 58. There was nothing she would not do to secure her end. Mrs. Oliphant, Poor Gentleman, xxi. 9t. To plight; pledge; a ure. - Secure piece, a command in artillery directing that the piece be moved in battery, the muzzle depre ed, the tompion inserted in the muzzle, and the vent-cover placed on the vent. - To secure arms, to hold a rifle or musket with the muzzle down, and the lock well up under the arm, the object being to guard the weapon from the wet. securefult (sē-kur'ful), a. [Irreg. I well know the ready right-hand charge, I know the left, and every sway of my secureful targe. Chapman , Iliad, vii. 209. securely (sē-kūr'li), adv. In a secure manner. (a) Without care or thought of evil or danger; with confidence; confidently. Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Prov. iii. 29. But thou, secure of soul, unbent with woes. Hezekiah, king of Jerusalem, caused it to be taken away, because it made the people secure , to neglect their duty in calling and relying upon God. Burton , Anat. of Mel. 2. Free from apprehension or doubt; a ured; certain; confident; sure: with of or an infini- (6) Without risk or danger; in security; safely: as, to lie tive. We see the wind sit sore upon our sails, And yet we strike not, but securely perish. Shak., Rich. II., ii. 1. 266. securely hidden. securely The excellent nocturnal Government of our City of London, where one may pa and repa securely all Hours of the Night, if he gives good Words to the Watch. Howell , Letters, I. i. 17. (c) Firmly; in such a manner as to prevent failure or accident; so that lo , escape, injury, or damage may not result: as, to fasten a thing securely; lashed securely to the rigging. Even gnats, if they rest on the glands [of Drosera ro tund i folia ] with their delicate feet, are quickly and secure ly embraced. Darwin , Insectiv. Plants, p. 264. [ They, like Judas, desire death:... Cain, on the contrary, grew afraid thereof, and obtained a securement from it. Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., i. 2. 5460 flowers of a rudimentary ovary which is often long and two or three-cleft. It includes about 8 species, natives of South America, Spain, and Africa, and of other temperate and tropical regions. They are branching shrubs, bearing small entire alternate leaves, and numerous small staminate flowers in axillary clusters, with the few pistillate flowers borne on longer stalks, on separate plants or on the same. S. nitid a is the myrtle of Tahiti and Mauritius, sometimes cultivated for its white flowers.