AGLET (F. aigulette), a tagged point used in the dress of a man, supplying the place of the modern button; sometimes they had the small figure of a head cut or impressed upon them.

Why give him gold enough, and marry him to an aglet baby.

TAM. OF A SHREW.

And on his head a hood with aglets sprad,

And by his side his hunter's horn.

SPENSER'S F. QUEEN.

AGNIZE (L. agnosco), to acknowledge, confess, or

avow.

The tenor of your princely will from you for to agnize.

I do agnize

A natural and prompt alacrity.

AGNOMINATE (L. agnomino), to name.

Which, in memorial of victory,
Shall be agnominated by our name,
And talked of by our posterity.

CAMBYSES.

OTHELLO.

O. P. LOCRINE.

AGOG, eager, elate, on the start. This word is admitted to be of doubtful etymology; some derive it from the Saxon gangan, to go; Dr. Johnson, from the low French phrase agogo; as, ils vivent agogo, "they live to their wish;" but this definition of the word does not correspond with its obvious meaning. Mr. Boucher thinks it to be of pure Celtic origin, from gog, a hill, which, being resolved into a gaug, literally, on high, and figuratively, elate; but whatever be the primitive derivation of the word, it seems reasonable to suppose that it is immediately deduced from the Italian agognare,

to wish or long for ardently; of this opinion is Mr. Brocket, in his Glossary of North Country Words. As eagerness and elation have the effect of giving expansion to the eyes, we use the word goggle eyes to signify large projecting eyes.

And worst of all, the women that doe go with them set them agog that do tarrie.

Six precious souls and all agog
To dash through thick and thin.

GOLDEN Book.

COWPER'S JOHN GILPIN.

AGOOD (S. god), in earnest, heartily.

Al that time I made her weep agood,

For I did play a lamentable part.

Two GENTS. OF VERONA.

AGRAME (S. græmian), to vex or displease.

Sir Guy as tight upsterte

As man that was agramed in haste.

GUY OF WARWICK. PERCY'S RELIQUES.

And if a man be falsely famed,

And wol i-make purgacyon,

Then wol the officers be agramed.

CHAUCER'S PLOWMAN'S TALE.

AGRASTE, shewing grace and favour.

She granted, and that knight so much agraste,
That she him taught celestial discipline.

SPENSER'S F. QUEEN,

AGRE (F. degré), of the first rank, high born, of

high degree; pre-eminence.

He was fair and wel àgré,

And was a child of gret noblay.

And that was for I should say
The gré of the field I had to day.

AGREFE, in grief or with sorrow.

TALE OF MERLIN.

LIFE OF IPOMYDON.

And nece of mine, ne take it not agrefe.

CHAUCER'S TROI AND CRESS.

AGRISE (S. agrisan, to crash), to astonish, frighten;

to dread.

Such rulers mowen of God agrise.

CHAUCER'S PLOWMAN'S TALE.

And pouring forth their blood in brutish wise,
That any iron eyes to see it would agrise.

SPENSER'S F. QUEEN.

AGROTE, to surfeit, saturate, or cloy.

But I am agroted here beforne

To write of him that in love been forsworne.

CHAUCER'S LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN.

AGUISE (S gisa), fashion, attire, external appear

ance.

Then gan this crafty couple to devise
How for the court they might themselves aguise.

SPENSER'S MOTHER HUBBARD'E TALE.

Sometimes her head she fondly would aguise.

SPENSER'S F. QUEEN.

AIME, to point at; to cry aime, i. e. to accept a challenge, a word derived from archery; literally, to consent to or approve of any thing.

O Brutus, speak! O say, Servilius!

Why cry you ayme! and see us used thus.

O. P. CORNELIA.

AIREN (Ger. ey), an egg. This word is sometimes

spelt ayren and eyren.

Men to hym threowe dirt and donge,

With foule airen.

ROM. OF K. ALISAUNDRE.

AIRLE-PENNY. This word is of remote antiquity, and refers to an ancient custom of giving arrhæ or presents from a man to a woman, on their entering into a contract to marry, and in this sense it is used by Plautus. The present was generally an annulus or ring, and in reference to the sanctity of the engagement, the gift was subsequently called a God's pennie; but though in its primary signification it imported a spousal gift, the lapse of time has converted the use of the word to earnest money given to bind any bargain of whatever na

ture.

Your proffer of luve's an airle penny,
My tocher's the bargain.

Scor's MUSEUM.

AIRT, a point of the compass, a quarter of the heavens. This word is chiefly confined to the Scottish dialect.

And under quhat art of the heven so hie,

Or at quhat coist of the world finally

Sal we arrive?

DOUGLAS'S ENEID.

Of a' the airts the wind can blow,

I dearly like the west.

SCOT'S SONG.

AKENNING, reconnoitering, discovering.

They mowe kenne Darius' oste
At the other side akenning.

ALANDE, ALONDE, on land.

ROM. OF K. ALISAUNDre.

Thei sailen till they come alonde
At Tharse, nygh to the citee.

GOWER'S CON. AM.

He only with the prince, his cousin,
Were cast alande,

SIDNEY.

ALANGE, tedious, irksome; that which renders tedi

ous and weary.

In time of winter, alange it is!
The foules lesen her bliss,
The leves fallen off the tre,
Rain alangeth the countree.

ALARGID, given, bestowed.

ROM. OF MERLIN.

ALAUNTES, hunting dogs, supposed to partake of the nature of the greyhound, but probably, from the prey hunted by them, a species of mastiff or other strong dog.

He rode tho upon a forest stronde,

With grete route and royaltie;

The fairest that was in all that londe,

With alauntes, lymeris, and racchis free.

SYR FERUMBRAS.

.

About her chare there went white alaundes,
Twelve and mo, as grete as any stere,
To hunten at the lyon and the bere.

CHAUCER'S KNIGHTES TALE.

ALBÈ (L. album, from its white colour), a vestment used by the priests of the Roman Catholic Church in the exercise of their religious ceremonies.

Of preste thou hast no merke, albe, ne nor amite,

But laced in a hauberke.

P. LANGTOFT'S CHRON.

The bishops donn'd their albes and copes of state.

FAIRFAX'S TASSO.