Weight \Weight\, n. [OE. weght, wight, AS. gewiht; akin to D.
gewigt, G. gewicht, Icel. v[ae]tt, Sw. vigt, Dan. v[ae]gt.
See Weigh, v. t.]
[1913 Webster]
1. The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by
which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect
of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain
units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Weight differs from gravity in being the effect of
gravity, or the downward pressure of a body under the
influence of gravity; hence, it constitutes a measure
of the force of gravity, and being the resultant of all
the forces exerted by gravity upon the different
particles of the body, it is proportional to the
quantity of matter in the body.
[1913 Webster]
2. The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the
center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated
by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to
some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight
of five hundred pounds.
[1913 Webster]
For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell,
Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or
business. "The weight of this said time." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
For the public all this weight he bears. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
[He] who singly bore the world's sad weight.
--Keble.
[1913 Webster]
4. Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence;
moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast
weight.
[1913 Webster]
In such a point of weight, so near mine honor.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
5. A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of
estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight;
apothecaries' weight.
[1913 Webster]
6. A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a
paper weight.
[1913 Webster]
A man leapeth better with weights in his hands.
--Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
7. A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to
be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as,
an ounce weight.
[1913 Webster]
8. (Mech.) The resistance against which a machine acts, as
opposed to the power which moves it. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Atomic weight. (Chem.) See under Atomic, and cf.
Element.
Dead weight, Feather weight, Heavy weight, Light
weight, etc. See under Dead, Feather, etc.
Weight of observation (Astron. & Physics), a number
expressing the most probable relative value of each
observation in determining the result of a series of
observations of the same kind.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Ponderousness; gravity; heaviness; pressure; burden;
load; importance; power; influence; efficacy;
consequence; moment; impressiveness.
[1913 Webster]
|
Atomic \A*tom"ic\, Atomical \A*tom"ic*al\, a. [Cf. F. atomique.]
1. Of or pertaining to atoms.
[1913 Webster]
2. Extremely minute; tiny.
[1913 Webster]
Atomic bomb, see atom bomb in the vocabulary.
Atomic philosophy, or Doctrine of atoms, a system which,
assuming that atoms are endued with gravity and motion,
accounted thus for the origin and formation of all things.
This philosophy was first broached by Leucippus, was
developed by Democritus, and afterward improved by
Epicurus, and hence is sometimes denominated the Epicurean
philosophy.
Atomic theory, or the Doctrine of definite proportions
(Chem.), teaches that chemical combinations take place
between the supposed ultimate particles or atoms of
bodies, in some simple ratio, as of one to one, two to
three, or some other, always expressible in whole numbers.
Atomic weight (Chem.), the weight of the atom of an element
as compared with the weight of the atom of hydrogen, taken
as a standard.
[1913 Webster]
|