Inferable - Infinity

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Inferable (ĭnfẽrȧb'l or ĭnfĕr-; 277), a. Capable of being inferred or deduced from premises. [Written also inferrible.] H. Spencer.
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A sufficient argument . . . is inferable from these premises. Burke.
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Inference (?), n. [From .]
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1. The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction.
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Though it may chance to be right in the conclusions, it is yet unjust and mistaken in the method of inference. Glanvill.
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2. That which inferred; a truth or proposition drawn from another which is admitted or supposed to be true; a conclusion; a deduction. Milton.
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These inferences, or conclusions, are the effects of reasoning, and the three propositions, taken all together, are called syllogism, or argument. I. Watts.

Syn. -- Conclusion; deduction; consequence. -- , . An inference is literally that which is brought in; and hence, a deduction or induction from premises, -- something which follows as certainly or probably true. A conclusion is stronger than an inference; it shuts us up to the result, and terminates inquiry. We infer what is particular or probable; we conclude what is certain. In a chain of reasoning we have many inferences, which lead to the ultimate conclusion. “An inference is a proposition which is perceived to be true, because of its connection with some known fact.” “When something is simply affirmed to be true, it is called a proposition; after it has been found to be true by several reasons or arguments, it is called a conclusion.” I. Taylor.
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Inferential (?), a. Deduced or deducible by inference. “Inferential proofs.” J. S. Mill.
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Inferentially, adv. By way of inference; using inference.
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Inferiæ (?), n. pl. [L., fr. inferus underneath.] (Rom. Antiq.) Sacrifices offered to the souls of deceased heroes or friends.
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Inferior (?), a. [L., compar. of inferus that is below, underneath, the lower; akin to E. under: cf. F. inférieur. See .]
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1. Lower in place, rank, value, excellence, etc.; less important or valuable; subordinate; underneath; beneath.
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A thousand inferior and particular propositions. I. Watts.
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The body, or, as some love to call it, our inferior nature. Burke.
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Whether they are equal or inferior to my other poems, an author is the most improper judge. Dryden.
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2. Poor or mediocre; as, an inferior quality of goods.
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3. (Astron.) (a) Nearer the sun than the earth is; as, the inferior or interior planets; an inferior conjunction of Mercury or Venus. (b) Below the horizon; as, the inferior part of a meridian.
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4. (Bot.) (a) Situated below some other organ; -- said of a calyx when free from the ovary, and therefore below it, or of an ovary with an adherent and therefore inferior calyx. (b) On the side of a flower which is next the bract; anterior.
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5. (Min.) Junior or subordinate in rank; as, an inferior officer.
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Coloq. Inferior court (Law), a court subject to the jurisdiction of another court known as the superior court, or higher court. -- Coloq. Inferior letter , Coloq. Inferior figure (Print.), a small letter or figure standing at the bottom of the line (opposed to superior letter or figure), as in A2, Bn, 2 and n are inferior characters. -- Coloq. Inferior tide , the tide corresponding to the moon's transit of the meridian, when below the horizon.
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Inferior, n. A person lower in station, rank, intellect, etc., than another.
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A great person gets more by obliging his inferior than by disdaining him. South.
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Inferiority (?), [Cf. F. infériorité.] The state of being inferior; a lower state or condition; as, inferiority of rank, of talents, of age, of worth.
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A deep sense of our own great inferiority. Boyle.
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Inferiorly (?), adv. In an inferior manner, or on the inferior part.
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Infernal (?), a. [F. infernal, L. infernalis, fr. infernus that which lies beneath, the lower. See .]
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1. Of or pertaining to or suitable for the lower regions, inhabited, according to the ancients, by the dead; pertaining to Pluto's realm of the dead, the Tartarus of the ancients.
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The Elysian fields, the infernal monarchy. Garth.
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2. Of or pertaining to, resembling, or inhabiting, hell; suitable for hell, or to the character of the inhabitants of hell; hellish; diabolical; as, infernal spirits, or conduct.
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The instruments or abettors in such infernal dealings. Addison.
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Coloq. Infernal machine , a machine or apparatus maliciously designed to explode, and destroy life or property. -- Coloq. Infernal stone (lapis infernalis), lunar caustic; formerly so called. The name was also applied to caustic potash.

Syn. -- Tartarean; Stygian; hellish; devilish; diabolical; satanic; fiendish; malicious.
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Infernal, n. An inhabitant of the infernal regions; also, the place itself. [Obs.] Drayton.
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Infernally, adv. In an infernal manner; diabolically. “Infernally false.” Bp. Hacket.
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Inferno (?), n. [It. See .] 1. The infernal regions; hell.
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2. Hence: A raging fire.
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At each sudden explosion in the inferno below they sprang back from the brink [of the volcanic crater]. D. C. Worcester.
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Inferobranchian (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the Inferobranchiata.
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Inferobranchiata (?), n. pl. [NL. See .] (Zoöl.) A suborder of marine gastropod mollusks, in which the gills are between the foot and the mantle.
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Inferobranchiate (?), a. [L. inferus lower + E. branchiate.] (Zoöl.) Having the gills on the sides of the body, under the margin of the mantle; belonging to the Inferobranchiata.
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Inferrible (?), a. Inferable.
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Infertile (?), a. [L. infertilis: cf. F. infertile. See not, and .] Not fertile; not productive; barren; sterile; unable to propagate its kind; as, an infertile soil; an infertile hybrid; -- of living things and of soil or land.
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Infertilely, adv. In an infertile manner.
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Infertility (?), n. [L. infertilitas: cf. F. infertilité.] The state or quality of being infertile; unproductiveness; barrenness.
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The infertility or noxiousness of the soil. Sir M. Hale.
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Infest (?), a. [L. infestus. See , v. t.] Mischievous; hurtful; harassing. [Obs.] Spenser.
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Infest, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Infested; p. pr. & vb. n. Infesting.] [L. infestare, fr. infestus disturbed, hostile, troublesome; in in, against + the root of defendere: cf. F. infester. See .] To trouble greatly by numbers or by frequency of presence; to disturb; to annoy; to frequent and molest or harass; as, fleas infest dogs and cats; a sea infested with pirates.
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To poison vermin that infest his plants. Cowper.
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These, said the genius, are envy, avarice, superstition, love, with the like cares and passions that infest human life. Addison.
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And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away. Longfellow.
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Infestation (?), n. [L. infestatio: cf. F. infestation.] The act of infesting or state of being infested; molestation; vexation; annoyance. Bacon.
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Free from the infestation of enemies. Donne.
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Infester (?), n. One who, or that which, infests.
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Infestive (?), a. [L. infestivus. See not, and .] Having no mirth; not festive or merry; dull; cheerless; gloomy; forlorn. [R.]
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Infestivity (?), n. Lack of festivity, cheerfulness, or mirth; dullness; cheerlessness. [R.]
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Infestuous (?; 135), a. [L. infestus. See , a.] Mischievous; harmful; dangerous. [Obs.] “Infestuous as serpents.” Bacon.
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Infeudation (?), n. [LL. infeudatio, fr. infeudare to enfeoff: cf. F. inféodation. See a fief.]
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1. (Law) The act of putting one in possession of an estate in fee. Sir M. Hale.
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2. The granting of tithes to laymen. Blackstone.
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Infibulation (?), n. [L. infibulare, infibulatum, to clasp, buckle, or button together; pref. in- in + fibula clasp, buckle: cf. F. infibulation.]
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1. The act of clasping, or fastening, as with a buckle or padlock.
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2. The act of attaching a ring, clasp, or frame, to the genital organs in such a manner as to prevent copulation.
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Infidel (?), a. [L. infidelis; pref. in- not + fidelis faithful, fr. fides faith: cf. F. infidèle. See .] Not holding the faith; -- applied by Christians to one who does not believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, and the supernatural origin of Christianity; used by Mohammedans to refer to those who do not believe in Islam.
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The infidel writer is a great enemy to society. V. Knox.
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Infidel, n. One who does not believe in the prevailing religious faith; a heathen; a freethinker; -- used especially by Christians and Mohammedans.
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☞ Infidel is used by English writers to translate the equivalent word used Mohammedans in speaking of Christians and other disbelievers in Mohammedanism.

Syn. -- , , , , , , . An infidel, in common usage, is one who denies Christianity and the truth of the Scriptures. Some have endeavored to widen the sense of infidel so as to embrace atheism and every form of unbelief; but this use does not generally prevail. A freethinker is now only another name for an infidel. An unbeliever is not necessarily a disbeliever or infidel, because he may still be inquiring after evidence to satisfy his mind; the word, however, is more commonly used in the extreme sense. A deist believes in one God and a divine providence, but rejects revelation. An atheist denies the being of God. A sceptic is one whose faith in the credibility of evidence is weakened or destroyed, so that religion, to the same extent, has no practical hold on his mind. An agnostic remains in a state of suspended judgment, neither affirming nor denying the existence of a personal Deity.
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Infidelity (?), n.; pl. Infidelities (�). [L. infidelitas: cf. F. infidélité.]
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1. Lack of faith or belief in some religious system; especially, a lack of faith in, or disbelief of, the inspiration of the Scriptures, of the divine origin of Christianity.
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There is, indeed, no doubt but that vanity is one of the principal causes of infidelity. V. Knox.
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2. Unfaithfulness to the marriage vow or contract; violation of the marriage covenant by adultery.
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3. Breach of trust; unfaithfulness to a charge, or to moral obligation; treachery; deceit; as, the infidelity of a servant. “The infidelity of friends.” Sir W. Temple.
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Infield (?), v. t. To inclose, as a field. [R.]
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Infield (?), n. 1. Arable and manured land kept continually under crop; -- distinguished from outfield. [Scotland] Jamieson.
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2. (Baseball) The diamond; -- opposed to outfield. See , n., 5.
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infighting n. [in- + fighting.] 1. contention among members of the same organization (usually concealed from outsiders), sometimes of a bitter, intense, or prolonged character. [Such infighting may lead to .] PJC]

2. fighting, such as boxing, at close quarters.
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3. rough-and-tumble, free-for-all fighting.
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Infile (?), v. t. To arrange in a file or rank; to place in order. [Obs.] Holland.
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Infilm (?), v. t. To cover with a film; to coat thinly; as, to infilm one metal with another in the process of gilding; to infilm the glass of a mirror. [R.]
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Infilter (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Infiltered; p. pr. & vb. n. Infiltering.] [Cf. .] To filter or sift in.
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Infiltrate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Infiltrated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Infiltrating (?).] [Pref. in- + filtrate: cf. F, s'infiltrer. Cf. .] 1. To enter by penetrating the pores or interstices of a substance; to filter into or through something.
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The water infiltrates through the porous rock. Addison.
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2. To enter secretly (into an organization, territory, etc.) for hostile purposes, such as spying or sabotage; as, the FBI infiltrated into the U. S. communist party's upper echelons; also used transitively; as, to infiltrate the opponent's organization; to infiltrate one's agents into a hostile country.
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Infiltrate, v. t. To penetrate gradually; -- sometimes used reflexively. J. S. Mill.
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Infiltration (?), n. [Cf. F. infiltration.]
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1. The act or process of infiltrating, as of water into a porous substance, of a fluid into the cells of an organ or part of the body, or of persons into a hostile organization.
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2. The substance which has entered the pores or cavities of a body. Addison.
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Calcareous infiltrations filling the cavities. Kirwan.
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Coloq. Fatty infiltration . (Med.) See under . -- Coloq. Infiltration gallery , a filter gallery.
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Infiltrative (?), a. Of or pertaining to infiltration. Kane.
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Infinite (?), a. [L. infinitus: cf. F. infini. See not, and .]
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1. Unlimited or boundless, in time or space; as, infinite duration or distance.
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Whatever is finite, as finite, will admit of no comparative relation with infinity; for whatever is less than infinite is still infinitely distant from infinity; and lower than infinite distance the lowest or least can not sink. H. Brooke.
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2. Without limit in power, capacity, knowledge, or excellence; boundless; immeasurably or inconceivably great; perfect; as, the infinite wisdom and goodness of God; -- opposed to finite.
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Great is our Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite. Ps. cxlvii. 5.
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O God, how infinite thou art! I. Watts.
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3. Indefinitely large or extensive; great; vast; immense; gigantic; prodigious.
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Infinite riches in a little room. Marlowe.
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Which infinite calamity shall cause
To human life. Milton.
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4. (Math.) Greater than any assignable quantity of the same kind; -- said of certain quantities.
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5. (Mus.) Capable of endless repetition; -- said of certain forms of the canon, called also perpetual fugues, so constructed that their ends lead to their beginnings, and the performance may be incessantly repeated. Moore (Encyc. of Music).

Syn. -- Boundless; immeasurable; illimitable; interminable; limitless; unlimited; endless; eternal.
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Infinite, n. 1. That which is infinite; boundless space or duration; infinity; boundlessness.
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Not till the weight is heaved from off the air, and the thunders roll down the horizon, will the serene light of God flow upon us, and the blue infinite embrace us again. J. Martineau.
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2. (Math.) An infinite quantity or magnitude.
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3. An infinity; an incalculable or very great number.
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Glittering chains, embroidered richly o'er
With infinite of pearls and finest gold. Fanshawe.
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4. The Infinite Being; God; the Almighty.
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infinite loop n. 1. (Computers) a series of instructions in a computer program which, when executed, cause a cyclic repetition of the same instructions, with no other action by the program, for as long as the program continues to be executed, or the loop is interrupted by some external action.
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☞ An infinite loop is rarely written intentionally except in cases where the loop is intended merely as a waiting sequence, to be interrupted by some action of the user. It is more commonly the result of a serious logical error on the part of the programmer, resulting in a failure of the program. Its execution can be halted only by halting execution of the program, e.g. by intervention of the operating system or by halting or resetting the computer. In single-user systems, when executing an infinite loop, the computer will appear to halt operation of the program, and the program will be unresponsive to normal keyboard input, though it may be interrupted by an unmasked interrupt.
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Infinitely, adv. 1. Without bounds or limits; beyond or below assignable limits; as, an infinitely large or infinitely small quantity.
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2. Very; exceedingly; vastly; highly; extremely. “Infinitely pleased.” Dryden.
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Infiniteness, n. The state or quality of being infinite; infinity; greatness; immensity. Jer. Taylor.
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infinite regress, infinite regression n. (Philosophy, Logic) A causal relationship transmitted through an indefinite number of terms in a series, with no term that begins the causal chain.
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Infinitesimal (?), a. [Cf. F. infinitésimal, fr. infinitésime infinitely small, fr. L. infinitus. See , a.] Infinitely or indefinitely small; less than any assignable quantity or value; very small.
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Coloq. Infinitesimal calculus , the different and the integral calculus, when developed according to the method used by Leibnitz, who regarded the increments given to variables as infinitesimal.
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Infinitesimal, n. (Math.) An infinitely small quantity; that which is less than any assignable quantity.
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Infinitesimally, adv. By infinitesimals; in infinitely small quantities; in an infinitesimal degree.
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Infinitival (?), a. Pertaining to the infinite mood. “Infinitival stems.” Fitzed. Hall.
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Infinitive (?), n. [L. infinitivus: cf. F. infinitif. See .] Unlimited; not bounded or restricted; undefined.
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Coloq. Infinitive mood (Gram.), that form of the verb which merely names the action, and performs the office of a verbal noun. Some grammarians make two forms in English: (a) The simple form, as, speak, go, hear, before which to is commonly placed, as, to speak; to go; to hear. (b) The form of the imperfect participle, called the infinitive in -ing; as, going is as easy as standing.
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With the auxiliary verbs may, can, must, might, could, would, and should, the simple infinitive is expressed without to; as, you may speak; they must hear, etc. The infinitive usually omits to with the verbs let, dare, do, bid, make, see, hear, need, etc.; as, let me go; you dare not tell; make him work; hear him talk, etc.
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☞ In Anglo-Saxon, the simple infinitive was not preceded by to (the sign of modern simple infinitive), but it had a dative form (sometimes called the gerundial infinitive) which was preceded by to, and was chiefly employed in expressing purpose. See , 2.
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The gerundial ending (-anne) not only took the same form as the simple infinitive (-an), but it was confounded with the present participle in -ende, or -inde (later -inge).
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Infinitive, n. (Gram.) An infinitive form of the verb; a verb in the infinitive mood; the infinitive mood.
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Infinitive, adv. (Gram.) In the manner of an infinitive mood.
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Infinito (?), a. [It.] (Mus.) Infinite; perpetual, as a canon whose end leads back to the beginning. See , a., 5.
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Infinitude (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being infinite, or without limits; infiniteness.
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2. Infinite extent; unlimited space; immensity; infinity. “I am who fill infinitude.” Milton.
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As pleasing to the fancy, as speculations of eternity or infinitude are to the understanding. Addison.
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3. Boundless number; countless multitude. “An infinitude of distinctions.” Addison.
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Infinituple (?), a. [Cf. .] Multiplied an infinite number of times. [R.] Wollaston.
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Infinity (?), n.; pl. Infinities (#). [L. infinitas; pref. in- not + finis boundary, limit, end: cf. F. infinité. See .]
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1. Unlimited extent of time, space, or quantity; eternity; boundlessness; immensity. Sir T. More.
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There can not be more infinities than one; for one of them would limit the other. Sir W. Raleigh.
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2. Unlimited capacity, energy, excellence, or knowledge; as, the infinity of God and his perfections. Hooker.
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3. Endless or indefinite number; great multitude; as an infinity of beauties. Broome.
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