<B>incarnate, </B>adjective, verb, <B>-nated,</B> <B>-nating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>embodied in flesh, especially in human form. <BR> <I>Ex. the Devil incarnate. The villain was evil incarnate.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>personified or typified, as a quality or idea. <BR> <I>Ex. Liberty and independence itself seemed incarnate in his name (John R. Green).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Botany.) flesh-colored. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make incarnate; embody. <DD><B> 2. </B>to put into an actual form; realize. <BR> <I>Ex. The sculptor incarnated his vision in a beautiful statue.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to be the living embodiment of. <BR> <I>Ex. She incarnates all the virtues of womanhood. Lancelot incarnated the spirit of chivalry.</I> (SYN) personify. </DL>
<A NAME="incarnation">
<B>Incarnation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the union of divine nature and human nature in the person of Jesus Christ; the assumption of human form by the Son of God; the hypostatic union. <DD><B> 2. </B>the embodiment of God in the person of Jesus Christ. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) the birth of Jesus. </DL>
<A NAME="incarnation">
<B>incarnation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act or fact of taking on human form by a divine being. <BR> <I>Ex. the incarnation of an angel.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person or thing that represents some quality or idea; embodiment. <BR> <I>Ex. The miser was an incarnation of greed.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the person or form in which a god or spirit is incarnated; avatar; personification. <BR> <I>Ex. Krishna is an incarnation of Vishnu. When shall my soul her incarnation quit? (Edward Young).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a distinct period or stage of life. <BR> <I>Ex. There are still enough people around him [the Secretary of State] who knew him in his previous incarnation as the busy academic (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> </DL>
<B>incaution, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> lack of caution; carelessness; heedlessness. </DL>
<A NAME="incautious">
<B>incautious, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> not cautious; wanting in caution; heedless; reckless; rash. <BR> <I>Ex. In an incautious moment he revealed the secret he had sworn to keep.</I> (SYN) imprudent, unwary, careless. adv. <B>incautiously.</B> noun <B>incautiousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incendiarism">
<B>incendiarism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the crime of setting fire to property intentionally. (SYN) arson. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) the deliberate stirring up of strife, violence, or rebellion. </DL>
<B>incendiary, </B>adjective, noun, pl. <B>-aries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>having to do with the setting of property on fire intentionally. <BR> <I>Ex. an incendiary act.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>causing fire or containing chemicals that are used to start a fire. <BR> <I>Ex. The enemy town was set on fire with incendiary shells and bombs.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) deliberately stirring up strife, violence, or rebellion. <BR> <I>Ex. The agitator was arrested for making incendiary speeches.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a person who intentionally sets fire to property. (SYN) arsonist. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a person who deliberately stirs up strife, violence, or rebellion. <BR> <I>Ex. The Jesuits had been the incendiaries of the late insurrection (Horace Walpole).</I> (SYN) agitator. <DD><B> 3. </B>a shell or bomb containing chemical agents that cause fire. </DL>
<A NAME="incendive">
<B>incendive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> capable of setting fire; incendiary. </DL>
<A NAME="incense">
<B>incense</B> (1), noun, verb, <B>-censed,</B> <B>-censing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a substance giving off a sweet smell when burned, such as an aromatic gum or other vegetable product, or a mixture of fragrant gums and spices. <DD><B> 2. </B>the perfume or smoke from it, especially when burned in religious ceremonies. <DD><B> 3. </B>something sweet like incense. <BR> <I>Ex. the incense of flowers, (Figurative.) the incense of flattery, (Figurative.) the incense of praise.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) homage or praise. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to burn or offer incense before, especially in connection with a religious ceremony; perfume with incense. <DD><B> 2. </B>to perfume with any pleasant fragrance; scent. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to burn or offer incense. </DL>
<A NAME="incense">
<B>incense</B> (2), transitive verb, <B>-censed,</B> <B>-censing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to make very angry; fill with rage. <BR> <I>Ex. Cruelty incenses kind people.</I> (SYN) enrage, madden, provoke, exasperate. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) to inflame, excite, or kindle (passion or ardent feeling). <BR> <I>Ex. Will God incense his ire For such a petty trespass? (Milton).</I> noun <B>incensement.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incenseburner">
<B>incense burner,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a vessel or receptacle, often highly ornamental, for holding incense when burned; censer; thurible. </DL>
<A NAME="incensetree">
<B>incense tree,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various trees that yield incense, or whose wood or foliage has a fragrance like that of incense. </DL>
<A NAME="incenter">
<B>incenter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Mathematics.) the center of the inscribed circle in a triangle. </DL>
<A NAME="incentive">
<B>incentive, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a thing that urges a person on; a cause of action or effort; motive; stimulus. <BR> <I>Ex. The fun of playing the game was a greater incentive than the prize. This accentuated the world shortage, and added incentive to soaring prices for the metal (Wall Street Journal).</I> (SYN) spur, incitement, provocation. <DD><I>adj. </I> arousing to feeling or action; inciting; encouraging. (SYN) exciting, provocative. </DL>
<A NAME="incentivepay">
<B>incentive pay</B> or <B>bonus,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a payment or bonus to induce a worker, employee, or farmer to increase or improve production. <BR> <I>Ex. [The] management wanted some 250 workers to give up their present incentive pay, which would have cut their daily wages by about $5 a man (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="incentiverate">
<B>incentive rate,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a wage rate under which a worker may earn more by producing more; piece rate. </DL>
<A NAME="incept">
<B>incept, </B>intransitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to complete the taking of a degree of master or doctor (in certain English universities, now especially at Cambridge). <DD><B> 2. </B>to enter upon one's career or office. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to take in (matter), as an organism or cell. <DD><B> 2. </B>to begin; arouse. <BR> <I>Ex. ... full of breathless satisfaction at having incepted progressive action in his commander (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="inception">
<B>inception, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a beginning or originating; commencement. <BR> <I>Ex. the inception of a plan.</I> (SYN) origin. </DL>
<A NAME="inceptive">
<B>inceptive, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>beginning; initial. (SYN) incipient. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Grammar.) (of verbs, tense, or aspect) expressing the beginning of an action. <DD><I>noun </I> an inceptive verb. adv. <B>inceptively.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="inceptor">
<B>inceptor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B><B>=beginner.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>(British.) a person who incepts in a university. </DL>
<B>incessant, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> never stopping; continual. <BR> <I>Ex. The roar of Niagara Falls is incessant. The incessant noise from the factory kept me awake all night.</I> (SYN) ceaseless, constant. adv. <B>incessantly.</B> noun <B>incessantness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incest">
<B>incest, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that their marriage is prohibited by law or by custom, as between brother and sister or parent and child. </DL>
<A NAME="incestuous">
<B>incestuous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>involving or of the nature of incest. <DD><B> 2. </B>guilty of incest. adv. <B>incestuously.</B> noun <B>incestuousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="inch">
<B>inch</B> (1), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a measure of length, equal to 1/12 of a foot or 1/36 of a yard or 2.54 centimeters. (Abbr:) in. <DD><B> 2. </B>the amount of rainfall or snowfall that would cover a surface to the depth of one inch. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=water-inch.</B> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) the smallest part, amount, degree, measure, or distance; very little bit. <BR> <I>Ex. Neither debater would yield an inch. [He] refused to give an inch in argument (London Times).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>the pressure corresponding to one inch of a vertical column of mercury, or some similar substance in a barometer. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to move slowly or little by little. <BR> <I>Ex. The worm inched along. The value of the stock inched up toward its all-time high.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to move by inches or small degrees. <BR> <I>Ex. The defendant had been given a signal ... to come out, and as he was inching his way out the plaintiff, who had not seen the side road, collided with him (London Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>by inches,</B> </I>slowly; little by little; gradually. <BR> <I>Ex. The small town grew by inches.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>every inch,</B> </I>in every way; completely. <BR> <I>Ex. every inch a king (Shakespeare).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>inch by inch,</B> </I>slowly; little by little. <BR> <I>Ex. The idea developed inch by inch in his mind until he perfected it.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>within an inch of,</B> </I>very near; very close to. <BR> <I>Ex. He came within an inch of being caught in the sudden storm.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>within an inch of one's life,</B> </I>to the point of death. <BR> <I>Ex. He was beaten within an inch of his life.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="inch">
<B>inch</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a small island (frequent in the names of small islands belonging to Scotland). </DL>
<A NAME="inchage">
<B>inchage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the length or distance of something in inches. <BR> <I>Ex. the maximum inchage of print (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
