<B>inchoate, </B>adjective, verb, <B>-ated,</B> <B>-ating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> just begun; in an early stage; incomplete; undeveloped. <BR> <I>Ex. Yet he stood ... tensing with an inchoate sense of his conspicuousness (Atlantic). Each one of us has the prerogative of completing his inchoate and rudimental nature (Cardinal Newman).</I> <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to begin; commence; start. <BR> <I>Ex. [He] grows in stature when you see his thought inchoated (New Statesman).</I> adv. <B>inchoately.</B> noun <B>inchoateness.</B> noun <B>inchoation.</B> </DL>
<B>inch-pound, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> one twelfth of a foot-pound, or the quantity of energy needed to raise a weight of one pound avoirdupois against gravity to a height of one inch. (Abbr:) in.-lb. </DL>
<A NAME="inchworm">
<B>inchworm, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a measuring worm; larva of a geometrid; cankerworm. </DL>
<A NAME="incidence">
<B>incidence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the way in which (something, such as a tax or disease) falls or distributes itself; range of occurrence or influence. <BR> <I>Ex. In an epidemic the incidence of a disease is widespread. The incidence of a tax is limited if only a few people must pay the tax.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a falling on or affecting. <DD><B> 3a. </B>the falling or striking of a projectile or ray of light or heat upon a surface. <BR> <I>Ex. In equal incidences there is considerable inequality of refraction (Sir Isaac Newton).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the angle formed by this line or ray with a line perpendicular to the surface; angle of incidence. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Geometry.) partial coincidence of figures, in which all of one figure forms part of another. </DL>
<A NAME="incident">
<B>incident, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>a happening or event, viewed as a separate circumstance. <BR> <I>Ex. So carefully has the incident been planned that all concerned ... feel themselves in the power of a machine (London Times).</I> (SYN) occurrence, episode. <DD><B> b. </B>a troublesome or disturbing happening. <BR> <I>Ex. In South Africa the official policy of apartheid continued to provoke incidents in the universities (Leonard R. Buckley).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an event that happens in connection with something else more important. <BR> <I>Ex. She told all the main facts of her trip and a few of the amusing incidents.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a distinct piece of action in a story, play, or poem, usually subordinate to the main action. <BR> <I>Ex. A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct; The language plain, and incidents well link'd (William Cowper).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Especially Law.) something connected with or dependent on something else (the principal). <DD><B> 5. </B>(in feudal law) any of the provisions or conditions, such as homage and wardship, on which the agreement between lord and vassal depended. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>liable to happen; belonging. <BR> <I>Ex. Hardships are incident to the life of an explorer.</I> (SYN) relating. <DD><B> 2. </B>falling or striking (upon). <BR> <I>Ex. rays of light incident upon a mirror.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Especially Law.) connected with or dependent on something else. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Rare or Obsolete.) casual; incidental. </DL>
<A NAME="incidental">
<B>incidental, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>happening or likely to happen in connection with something else, especially something else more important; of little importance. <BR> <I>Ex. Certain discomforts are incidental to the joys of camping out. The report was so full of incidental details that it was hard to understand what the main point was.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>occurring by chance. <BR> <I>Ex. an incidental meeting of an old friend on the street.</I> (SYN) occasional, casual. <DD><B> 3. </B>incurred casually and in addition to the main amount. <BR> <I>Ex. incidental expenses or charges.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>something incidental; an incidental circumstance or event. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Music.) a tone not properly belonging to a chord, or a harmony foreign to a key. <BR><I>expr. <B>incidentals,</B> </I>incidental items, especially of expense. <BR> <I>Ex. On our trip we spent $52 for meals, room, and railroad fare, and $1.50 for incidentals, such as candy and magazines.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="incidentally">
<B>incidentally, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>as an incident along with something else; by the way. <BR> <I>Ex. He said, incidentally, that he had had no dinner.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>accidentally. </DL>
<A NAME="incidentalmusic">
<B>incidental music,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> music played during a motion picture, play, or display, to help bring about a desired emotional response from the audience; mood music. </DL>
<A NAME="incidentals">
<B>incidentals, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>incidental.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incinderjell">
<B>incinderjell, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> jellied gasoline combined with napalm and used in flame throwers and fire bombs. </DL>
<A NAME="incinerate">
<B>incinerate, </B>verb, <B>-ated,</B> <B>-ating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to burn to ashes; cremate. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to become reduced to ashes. noun <B>incineration.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incinerator">
<B>incinerator, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a furnace or other arrangement for burning trash and other things to ashes; cremator. </DL>
<A NAME="incipience">
<B>incipience, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the very beginning; early stage. (SYN) inchoateness, outset. </DL>
<A NAME="incipiency">
<B>incipiency, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cies.</B> =incipience.</DL>
<A NAME="incipient">
<B>incipient, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> just beginning; in an early stage; commencing. <BR> <I>Ex. The medicine stopped the boy's incipient cough from becoming worse.</I> (SYN) initial. adv. <B>incipiently.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incipit">
<B>incipit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Latin.) <DD><B> 1. </B>here begins (used by medieval scribes to mark the beginning of a selection in a manuscript). <DD><B> 2. </B>the beginning words of such a selection. </DL>
<A NAME="incise">
<B>incise, </B>transitive verb, <B>-cised,</B> <B>-cising.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to cut into. <BR> <I>Ex. to incise wood with lettering.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to carve; engrave. <BR> <I>Ex. to incise a figure or inscription. (Figurative.) The characters are broadly incised with plenty of Shakespearean humor (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="incised">
<B>incised, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>cut into. <DD><B> 2. </B>produced by cutting; carved; engraved. <DD><B> 3. </B>having notches around the edge. <BR> <I>Ex. an incised leaf.</I> (SYN) serrated. </DL>
<A NAME="incision">
<B>incision, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a cut made in something; gash. <BR> <I>Ex. The doctor made a tiny incision to take out the splinter in my hand.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a deep indentation or notch, such as one in the margin of a leaf or of an insect's wing. <DD><B> 3. </B>the act of incising. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) incisive quality; incisiveness. </DL>
<A NAME="incisional">
<B>incisional, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with an incision. <BR> <I>Ex. an incisional scar.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="incisionalhernia">
<B>incisional hernia,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a hernia resulting from a surgical or accidental incision. </DL>
<A NAME="incisive">
<B>incisive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>that cuts; sharp; penetrating; piercing; keen. <BR> <I>Ex. An incisive criticism goes directly to thepoint and uses plain words. Niebuhr's style is so incisive ... that one hesitates to challenge him (Saturday Review).</I> (SYN) acute, cutting, trenchant. <DD><B> 2. </B>incising; cutting. <DD><B> 3. </B>of, having to do with, or in the region of the incisors. adv. <B>incisively.</B> noun <B>incisiveness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incisor">
<B>incisor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a tooth having a sharp edge for cutting; one of the front teeth in mammals between the canine teeth in either jaw. Human beings have eight incisors in all. </DL>
<A NAME="incisory">
<B>incisory, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> adapted for cutting, as the incisor teeth. </DL>
<A NAME="incisural">
<B>incisural, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having an incisure. </DL>
<A NAME="incisure">
<B>incisure, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an incision, cleft, or notch; a deep indentation. </DL>
<A NAME="incitant">
<B>incitant, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> that incites. <BR> <I>Ex. an incitant force.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> something that incites. <BR> <I>Ex. a disease incitant.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="incitation">
<B>incitation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an inciting; moving into action. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) a stimulus; incentive; incitement. </DL>
<A NAME="incite">
<B>incite, </B>verb, <B>-cited,</B> <B>-citing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to urge on; stir up; rouse; stimulate to action. <BR> <I>Ex. The captain's example incited the men to bravery. Agitators incited the men to strike. Each host now joins, and each a god inspires, These Mars incites, and those Minerva fires (Alexander Pope).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to cause or be an incitement; stir up others. <BR> <I>Ex. Criminal sanctions are still imposed on those who incite to crime and violence by words (Philip B. Kurland).</I> noun <B>inciter.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incitement">
<B>incitement, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>anything that urges on, stirs up, or rouses. <BR> <I>Ex. Abject poverty can be an incitement to steal. Interest is an incitement to study.</I> (SYN) motive, incentive. <DD><B> 2. </B>the act of urging on, stirring up, or rousing. (SYN) stimulation. </DL>
<A NAME="inciting">
<B>inciting, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that incites; stimulating; provoking. adv. <B>incitingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="incivility">
<B>incivility, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>lack of courtesy; impoliteness; rudeness. (SYN) discourtesy, disrespect. <DD><B> 2. </B>a rude or impolite act. <BR> <I>Ex. No person offered me the least incivility (John M. Ludlow).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="incivism">
<B>incivism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> bad citizenship; neglect of civic duties. <BR> <I>Ex. Socrates is to be ... exculpated from the charge of incivism (George Grote).</I> </DL>
