Ermine, ėr′min, n. a well-known carnivore belonging to the genus which includes polecat, weasel, ferret, &c.—its white fur often used as an emblem of purity: ermine fur used for the robes of judges and magistrates.—adj. Er′mined, adorned with ermine. [O. Fr. ermine (Fr. hermine), perh. from L. (mus) Armenius, lit. mouse of Armenia, whence it was brought to Rome; but acc. to Skeat from Old High Ger. harmin (Ger. hermelin), ermine-fur.]
Erne, ėrn, n. the eagle. [A.S. earn; cf. Ice. orn, Dut. arend.]
Erne, ėrn, v.i. obsolete form of earn, to yearn.
Erode, e-rōd′, v.t. to eat away: to wear away.—n. Erō′dent, a caustic drug.—adj. Erōse′, gnawed.—n. Erō′sion, act or state of eating or being eaten away.—adj. Erō′sive, having the property of eating away. [L. e, out, rodĕre, rosum, to gnaw.]
Erostrate, e-ros′trāt, adj. (bot.) having no beak.
Erotesis, er-ō-tē′sis, n. (rhet.) a figure consisting of an oratorical question.—adj. Erotet′ic. [Gr.]
Erotic, er-ot′ik, adj. pertaining to love: amatory.—n. an amatory poem.—ns. Erotomā′nia, morbid sexual passion; Erotomā′niac, one affected with this. [Gr. erōtikos—erōs, erōtos, love.]
Err, er, v.i. to wander from the right way: to go astray: to mistake: to sin.—adj. Err′able, capable of erring.—n. Errat′ic, a wanderer: an erratic boulder.—adjs. Errat′ic, -al, wandering: having no certain course: not stationary: irregular.—adv. Errat′ically.—n. Errā′tum, an error in writing or printing, esp. one noted in a list at the end of a book:—pl. Errā′ta.—adj. Errō′neous, erring: full of error: wrong: mistaken: (obs.) wandering.—adv. Errō′neously.—ns. Errō′neousness; Err′or, a deviation from truth, right, &c.: a blunder or mistake: a fault: sin; Err′orist. [Fr. errer—L. errāre, to stray; cog. with Ger. irren, and irre, astray.]
Errand, er′and, n. a message: a commission to say or do something.—A fool's errand, a useless undertaking; Go an errand, to go with messages; Make an errand, to invent a reason for going. [A.S. ǽrende; Ice. eyrindi; prob. conn. with Goth. áirus, Ice. árr, a messenger.]
Errant, er′ant, adj. wandering: roving: wild: (obs.) thorough (cf. Arrant).—n. a knight-errant.—adv. Err′antly.—n. Err′antry, an errant or wandering state: a rambling about like a knight-errant. [Fr.,—L. errans, errantis, pr.p. of errāre.]