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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
doubt
    n 1: the state of being unsure of something [syn: doubt,
         uncertainty, incertitude, dubiety, doubtfulness,
         dubiousness] [ant: certainty]
    2: uncertainty about the truth or factuality or existence of
       something; "the dubiousness of his claim"; "there is no
       question about the validity of the enterprise" [syn: doubt,
       dubiousness, doubtfulness, question]
    v 1: consider unlikely or have doubts about; "I doubt that she
         will accept his proposal of marriage"
    2: lack confidence in or have doubts about; "I doubt these
       reports"; "I suspect her true motives"; "she distrusts her
       stepmother"

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Doubt \Doubt\ (dout), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Doubted; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Doubting.] [OE. duten, douten, OF. duter, doter,
   douter, F. douter, fr. L. dubitare; akin to dubius doubtful.
   See Dubious.]
   1. To waver in opinion or judgment; to be in uncertainty as
      to belief respecting anything; to hesitate in belief; to
      be undecided as to the truth of the negative or the
      affirmative proposition; to b e undetermined.
      [1913 Webster]

            Even in matters divine, concerning some things, we
            may lawfully doubt, and suspend our judgment.
                                                  --Hooker.
      [1913 Webster]

            To try your love and make you doubt of mine.
                                                  --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive. [Obs.]

   Syn: To waver; vacillate; fluctuate; hesitate; demur;
        scruple; question.
        [1913 Webster]

3. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Doubt \Doubt\, v. t.
   1. To question or hold questionable; to withhold assent to;
      to hesitate to believe, or to be inclined not to believe;
      to withhold confidence from; to distrust; as, I have heard
      the story, but I doubt the truth of it.
      [1913 Webster]

            To admire superior sense, and doubt their own!
                                                  --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

            I doubt not that however changed, you keep
            So much of what is graceful.          --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

   To doubt not but.

            I do not doubt but I have been to blame. --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

            We doubt not now
            But every rub is smoothed on our way. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: That is, we have no doubt to prevent us from believing,
         etc. (or notwithstanding all that may be said to the
         contrary) -- but having a preventive sense, after verbs
         of "doubting" and "denying" that convey a notion of
         hindrance. --E. A. Abbott.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive of. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Edmond [was a] good man and doubted God. --R. of
                                                  Gloucester.
      [1913 Webster]

            I doubt some foul play.               --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            That I of doubted danger had no fear. --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To fill with fear; to affright. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            The virtues of the valiant Caratach
            More doubt me than all Britain.       --Beau. & Fl.
      [1913 Webster]

4. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Doubt \Doubt\, n. [OE. dute, doute, F. doute, fr. douter to
   doubt. See Doubt, v. i.]
   1. A fluctuation of mind arising from defect of knowledge or
      evidence; uncertainty of judgment or mind; unsettled state
      of opinion concerning the reality of an event, or the
      truth of an assertion, etc.; hesitation.
      [1913 Webster]

            Doubt is the beginning and the end of our efforts to
            know.                                 --Sir W.
                                                  Hamilton.
      [1913 Webster]

            Doubt, in order to be operative in requiring an
            acquittal, is not the want of perfect certainty
            (which can never exist in any question of fact) but
            a defect of proof preventing a reasonable assurance
            of quilt.                             --Wharton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Uncertainty of condition.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee. --Deut.
                                                  xxviii. 66.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Suspicion; fear; apprehension; dread. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            I stand in doubt of you.              --Gal. iv. 20.
      [1913 Webster]

            Nor slack her threatful hand for danger's doubt.
                                                  --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Difficulty expressed or urged for solution; point
      unsettled; objection.
      [1913 Webster]

            To every doubt your answer is the same. --Blackmore.
      [1913 Webster]

   No doubt, undoubtedly; without doubt.

   Out of doubt, beyond doubt. [Obs.] --Spenser.

   Syn: Uncertainty; hesitation; suspense; indecision;
        irresolution; distrust; suspicion; scruple; perplexity;
        ambiguity; skepticism.
        [1913 Webster]

5. Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
DOUBT. The uncertainty which exists in relation to a fact, a proposition, or 
other thing; or it is an equipoise of the mind arising from an equality of 
contrary reasons. Ayl. Pand. 121. 
     2. The embarrassing position of a judge is that of being in doubt, and 
it is frequently the lot of the wisest and most enlightened to be in this 
condition, those who have little or no experience usually find no difficulty 
in deciding the most, problematical questions. 
     3. Some rules, not always infallible, have been adopted in doubtful 
cases, in order to arrive at the truth. 1. In civil cases, the doubt ought 
to operate against him, who having it in his power to prove facts to remove 
the doubt, has neglected to do so. In cases of fraud when there is a doubt, 
the presumption of innocence (q.v.) ought to remove it. 2. In criminal 
cases, whenever a reasonable doubt exists as to the guilt of the accused 
that doubt ought to operate in his favor. In such cases, particularly, when 
the liberty, honor or life of an individual is at stake, the evidence to 
convict ought to be clear, and devoid of all reasonable doubt. See Best on 
Pres. Sec. 195; Wils. on Cir. Ev. 26; Theory of Presumptive Proof, 64; 33 
How. St. Tr. 506; Burnett, Cr. Law of Scotl. 522; 1 Greenl. Ev. Sec. 1 
D'Aguesseau, Oeuvres, vol. xiii. p. 242; Domat, liv. 3, tit. 6. 
     4. No judge is presumed to have any doubt on a question of law, and he 
cannot therefore refuse to give a judgment on that account. 9 M. R. 355; 
Merlin, Repert. h.t.; Ayliffe's Pand. b. 2, t. 17; Dig. lib. 34, t. 5; 
Code, lib. 6, t. 38. Indeed, in some countries; in China, for example, 
ignorance of the law in a judge is punishable with blows. Penal Laws of 
China, B. 2, s. 61. 



Thesaurus Results for Doubt:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
Humism, Pyrrhonism, agnosticism, agonize over, all-overs, anxiety, apprehension, apprehensiveness, awake a doubt, be at sea, be diffident, be doubtful, be dubious, be possessive, be skeptical, be uncertain, beat about, call in question, challenge, concern, confutability, contest, contestability, controvertibility, deniability, diffidence, disbelief, disbelieve, discredit, disputability, dispute, disquiet, distrust, distrustfulness, doubtful, doubtfulness, dubiety, dubiousness, dubitancy, fear, feel unsure, flounder, fluctuate, foreboding, greet with skepticism, grope, half believe, half-belief, harbor suspicions, have reservations, hesitate, hesitation, in doubt, incertitude, incredulity, irresolution, leeriness, misdoubt, misgive, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, puzzle over, qualm, qualmishness, query, question, questionableness, raise a question, refutability, reservations, scepticism, scoff, scoffing, scruple, scrupulousness, self-doubt, shadow of doubt, skepticalness, skepticism, smell a rat, suspect, suspicion, suspiciousness, thrash about, throw doubt upon, total skepticism, treat with reserve, unbelief, uncertainty, vacillate, wariness, waver, wonder, wonder whether, worry
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