Webster's Dictionary, 1913

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Aver (ā"vẽr) noun [ Old French aver domestic animal, whence Late Latin averia , plural cattle. See Habit , and confer Average .] A work horse, or working ox. [ Obsolete or Dial. Eng.]

Aver (ȧ*vẽr") transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Averred (ȧ*vẽrd"); present participle & verbal noun Averring .] [ French avérer , Late Latin adverare , averare ; Latin ad + versus true. See Verity .]
1. To assert, or prove, the truth of. [ Obsolete]

2. (Law) To avouch or verify; to offer to verify; to prove or justify. See Averment .

3. To affirm with confidence; to declare in a positive manner, as in confidence of asserting the truth.

It is sufficient that the very fact hath its foundation in truth, as I do seriously aver is the case.

Then all averred I had killed the bird.

Syn. -- To assert; affirm; asseverate. See Affirm .

Average noun [ Old French average , Late Latin averagium , probably from Old French aver , French avoir , property, horses, cattle, etc.; prop. infin., to have, from Latin habere to have. Confer French avérage small cattle, and avarie (perh. of different origin) damage to ship or cargo, port dues. The first meaning was perhaps the service of carting a feudal lord's wheat, then charge for carriage, the contribution towards loss of things carried, in proportion to the amount of each person's property. Confer Aver , noun , Avercorn , Averpenny .]

2. [ Confer French avarie damage to ship or cargo.] (Com.) (a) A tariff or duty on goods, etc. [ Obsolete] (b) Any charge in addition to the regular charge for freight of goods shipped. (c) A contribution to a loss or charge which has been imposed upon one of several for the general benefit; damage done by sea perils. (d) The equitable and proportionate distribution of loss or expense among all interested.

General average , a contribution made, by all parties concerned in a sea adventure, toward a loss occasioned by the voluntary sacrifice of the property of some of the parties in interest for the benefit of all. It is called general average , because it falls upon the gross amount of ship, cargo, and freight at risk and saved by the sacrifice. Kent. -- Particular average signifies the damage or partial loss happening to the ship, or cargo, or freight, in consequence of some fortuitous or unavoidable accident; and it is borne by the individual owners of the articles damaged, or by their insurers. -- Petty averages are sundry small charges, which occur regularly, and are necessarily defrayed by the master in the usual course of a voyage; such as port charges, common pilotage, and the like, which formerly were, and in some cases still are, borne partly by the ship and partly by the cargo. In the clause commonly found in bills of lading, "primage and average accustomed," average means a kind of composition established by usage for such charges, which were formerly assessed by way of average. Arnould. Abbott. Phillips.


4. Any medial estimate or general statement derived from a comparison of diverse specific cases; a medium or usual size, quantity, quality, rate, etc. "The average of sensations." Paley.

5. plural In the English corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets.

On an average , taking the mean of unequal numbers or quantities.

Average adjective


Average transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Averaged ; present participle & verbal noun Averaging .]




Avercorn noun [ Aver , noun + corn .] (Old Eng. Law) A reserved rent in corn, formerly paid to religious houses by their tenants or farmers. Kennet.

Averment noun [ Confer Old French averement , Late Latin averamentum . See Aver , transitive verb ]

Signally has this averment received illustration in the course of recent events.
I. Taylor.

2. Verification; establishment by evidence. Bacon.

3. (Law) A positive statement of facts; an allegation; an offer to justify or prove what is alleged.

» In any stage of pleadings, when either party advances new matter, he avers it to be true, by using this form of words: "and this he is ready to verify." This was formerly called an averment . It modern pleading, it is termed a verification . Blackstone.


Averpenny noun [ Aver , noun + penny .] (Old Eng. Law) Money paid by a tenant in lieu of the service of average.

Averroism noun The tenets of the Averroists.


Averruncate transitive verb [ Latin averruncare to avert; a , ab , off + verruncare to turn; formerly derived from ab and eruncare to root out. Confer Aberuncate .]
1. To avert; to ward off. [ Obsolete] Hudibras.

2. To root up. [ Obsolete] Johnson.

Averruncation noun [ Confer Old French averroncation .]
1. The act of averting. [ Obsolete]

2. Eradication. [ R.] De Quincey.

Averruncator noun [ Confer Aberuncator .] An instrument for pruning trees, consisting of two blades, or a blade and a hook, fixed on the end of a long rod.

Averruncator noun An instrument for pruning trees, having two blades, or a blade and a hook, fixed on a long rod and operated by a string or wire.

Aversation noun [ Latin aversatio , from aversari to turn away, v. intens. of avertere . See Avert .] A turning from with dislike; aversion. [ Obsoleteor Archaic]

Some men have a natural aversation to some vices or virtues, and a natural affection to others.
Jer. Taylor.

Averse adjective [ Latin aversus , past participle of avertere . See Avert .]
1. Turned away or backward. [ Obsolete]

The tracks averse a lying notice gave,
And led the searcher backward from the cave.


Averse alike to flatter, or offend.

Men who were averse to the life of camps.

Pass by securely as men averse from war.
Micah ii. 8.

» The prevailing usage now is to employ to after averse and its derivatives rather than from , as was formerly the usage. In this the word is in agreement with its kindred terms, hatred , dislike , dissimilar , contrary , repugnant , etc., expressing a relation or an affection of the mind to an object.

Syn. -- Averse , Reluctant , Adverse . Averse expresses an habitual, though not of necessity a very strong, dislike; as, averse to active pursuits; averse to study. Reluctant , a term of the of the will, implies an internal struggle as to making some sacrifice of interest or feeling; as, reluctant to yield; reluctant to make the necessary arrangements; a reluctant will or consent. Adverse denotes active opposition or hostility; as, adverse interests; adverse feelings, plans, or movements; the adverse party.

Averse transitive verb & i. To turn away. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Aversely adverb
1. Backward; in a backward direction; as, emitted aversely .

2. With repugnance or aversion; unwillingly.

Averseness noun The quality of being averse; opposition of mind; unwillingness.

Aversion noun [ Latin aversio : confer French aversion . See Avert .]
1. A turning away. [ Obsolete]

Adhesion to vice and aversion from goodness.
Bp. Atterbury.

2. Opposition or repugnance of mind; fixed dislike; antipathy; disinclination; reluctance.

Mutual aversion of races.

His rapacity had made him an object of general aversion .

» It is now generally followed by to before the object. [ See Averse .] Sometimes towards and for are found; from is obsolete.

A freeholder is bred with an aversion to subjection.

His aversion towards the house of York.

It is not difficult for a man to see that a person has conceived an aversion for him.

The Khasias . . . have an aversion to milk.
J. D. Hooker.

3. The object of dislike or repugnance.

Pain their aversion , pleasure their desire.

Syn. -- Antipathy; dislike; repugnance; disgust. See Dislike .

Avert transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Averted ; present participle & verbal noun Averting .] [ Latin avertere ; a , ab + vertere to turn: confer Old French avertir . See Verse , noun ] To turn aside, or away; as, to avert the eyes from an object; to ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of; as, how can the danger be averted ? "To avert his ire." Milton.

When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.

Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.

Avert intransitive verb To turn away. [ Archaic]

Cold and averting from our neighbor's good.

Averted adjective Turned away, esp. as an expression of feeling; also, offended; unpropitious.

Who scornful pass it with averted eye.

Averter noun One who, or that which, averts.

Avertible adjective Capable of being averted; preventable.

Avertiment noun Advertisement. [ Obsolete]

Aves noun plural [ Latin , plural of avis bird.] (Zoology) The class of Vertebrata that includes the birds.

» Aves , or birds, have a complete double circulation, oviparous, reproduction, front limbs peculiarly modified as wings; and they bear feathers. All existing birds have a horny beak, without teeth; but some Mesozoic fossil birds (Odontornithes) had conical teeth inserted in both jaws. The principal groups are: Carinatæ , including all existing flying birds; Ratitæ , including the ostrich and allies, the apteryx, and the extinct moas; Odontornithes , or fossil birds with teeth.

The ordinary birds are classified largely by the structure of the beak and feet, which are in direct relation to their habits. See Beak , Bird , Odontonithes .

Avesta noun The Zoroastrian scriptures. See Zend-Avesta .

Avestan adjective Of or pertaining to the Avesta or the language of the Avesta. -- noun The language of the Avesta; -- less properly called Zend .

Aviado noun [ Spanish ] One who works a mine with means provided by another. [ Spanish Amer. & Southwestern U. S.]

Avian adjective Of or instrument to birds.

Aviary noun ; plural Aviaries [ Latin aviarium , from aviarius pertaining to birds, from avis bird, akin to Gr, ..., Sanskrit vi .] A house, inclosure, large cage, or other place, for keeping birds confined; a bird house.

Lincolnshire may be termed the aviary of England.

Aviate intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Aviated ; present participle & verbal noun Aviating .] To fly, or navigate the air, in an aëroplane or heavier-than-air flying machine. [ Colloq.]

Aviation noun The art or science of flying.

Aviator noun (a) An experimenter in aviation. (b) A flying machine.

Aviator noun The driver or pilot of an aëroplane, or heavier-than-air flying machine.

Aviatress, Aviatrix noun A woman aviator.

Avicula noun [ Latin , small bird.] (Zoology) A genus of marine bivalves, having a pearly interior, allied to the pearl oyster; -- so called from a supposed resemblance of the typical species to a bird.

Avicular adjective [ Latin avicula a small bird, dim. of avis bird.] Of or pertaining to a bird or to birds.

Avicularia noun plural [ New Latin See Avicular .] (Zoology) See prehensile processes on the cells of some Bryozoa, often having the shape of a bird's bill.

Aviculture noun [ Latin avis bird + cultura culture.] (Zoology) Rearing and care of birds.

Avid adjective [ Latin avidus , from av...re to long: confer French avide . See Avarice .] Longing eagerly for; eager; greedy. " Avid of gold, yet greedier of renown." Southey.

Avidious adjective Avid.

Avidiously adverb Eagerly; greedily.

Avidity noun [ Latin aviditas , from avidus : confer French avidité . See Avid .] Greediness; strong appetite; eagerness; intenseness of desire; as, to eat with avidity .

His books were received and read with avidity .

Avie adverb [ Prefix a- + vie .] Emulously. [ Obsolete]

Aviette noun A heavier-than- air flying machine in which the motive power is furnished solely by the aviator.

Avifauna noun [ New Latin , from Latin avis bird + English fauna .] (Zoology) The birds, or all the kinds of birds, inhabiting a region.

Avigato noun See Avocado .