Equitation, ek-wi-tā′shun, n. the art of riding on horseback.—adjs. Eq′uitant, riding: straddling, overlapping; Equiv′orous, eating horse-flesh. [L.,—equitāre—equus, a horse.]
Equity, ek′wi-ti, n. right as founded on the laws of nature: moral justice, of which laws are the imperfect expression: the spirit of justice which enables us to interpret laws rightly: fairness.—adj. Eq′uitable, possessing or showing equity: held or exercised in equity.—n. Eq′uitableness.—adv. Eq′uitably. [Fr. equité—L. æquitas—æquus, equal.]
Equivalent, e-kwiv′a-lent, adj. equal in value, power, meaning, &c.—n. a thing equivalent.—n. Equiv′alence.—adv. Equiv′alently. [Fr.,—L. æquus, equal, valens, valentis, pr.p. of valēre, to be worth.]
Equivocal, e-kwiv′ō-kal, adj. capable of meaning two or more things: of doubtful meaning: capable of a double explanation: suspicious: questionable.—adv. Equiv′ocally.—n. Equiv′ocalness.—v.i. Equiv′ocāte, to use equivocal or doubtful words in order to mislead.—ns. Equivocā′tion, act of equivocating or using ambiguous words to mislead; Equiv′ocātor.—adj. Equiv′ocātory, containing or characterised by equivocation.—ns. E′quivoke, E′quivoque, an equivocal expression: equivocation: a quibble. [L. æquus, equal, vox, vocis, the voice, a word.]
Era, ē′ra, n. a series of years reckoned from a particular point, or that point itself: an important date. [Late L. æra, a number, orig. 'counters,' pieces of copper used in counting, being the neut.pl. of æs, æris, copper.]
Eradiate, e-rā′di-āt, v.i. to shoot out like a ray of light:—pr.p. erā′diating; pa.p. erā′diated.—n. Eradiā′tion, the act of eradiating; emission of radiance. [L. e, out, radius, a ray.]
Eradicate, e-rad′i-kāt, v.t. to pull up by the roots: to destroy.—adj. Erad′icable, that may be eradicated.—p.adj. Erad′icāted, rooted up: (her.) said of a tree, or part of a tree, torn up by the roots.—n. Eradicā′tion, the act of eradicating: state of being eradicated.—adj. Erad′icātive, serving to eradicate or drive thoroughly away.—n. Erad′icātor. [L. eradicāre, to root out—e, out, radix, radicis, a root.]
Erase, e-rās′, v.t. to rub or scrape out: to efface: to destroy.—adj. Erā′sable.—p.adj. Erased′, rubbed out: effaced: (her.) torn off, so as to leave jagged edges.—ns. Erā′ser, one who, or that which, erases, as ink-eraser; Erā′sion, Erase′ment, Erā′sure, the act of erasing: a rubbing out: the place where something written has been rubbed out. [L. eradĕre—e, out, radĕre, rasum, to scrape.]
Erastian, e-rast′yan, n. a follower of Thomas Erastus (1524-83), a Swiss physician, who denied the church the right to inflict excommunication and disciplinary penalties: one who minimises the spiritual independence of the church, subordinating her jurisdiction to the state—a position not held by Erastus at all.—adj. relating to the Erastians or their doctrines.—n. Erast′ianism, control of church by state.
Erato, er′a-tō, n. the Muse of lyric poetry.