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threat
threat in law, declaration of intent to injure another by doing an unlawful act, with a view to restraining his freedom of action. A threat is distinguishable from an assault , for an assault requires some physical act that appears likely to eventuate in violence, whereas a threat may consist of w...
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hex
hex witchcraft or one who works it. The word is of German origin, and beliefs connected with it spread from Europe to the United States, especially to the Pennsylvania Dutch country. The hex can be worked by either sex, but more commonly by a man, usually an amateur or professional hex "doctor." ...
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pentimento
pentimento , painter's term for the evidence in a work that the original composition has been changed. Often the opaque pigment with which the artist covered a mistake or unwanted beginnings will, with time or injudicious cleaning, become transparent, and a revelation of original intentions will bec...
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sacrament
sacrament [Lat.,=something holy], an outward sign of something sacred. In Christianity, a sacrament is commonly defined as having been instituted by Jesus and consisting of a visible sign of invisible grace. Christianity is divided as to the number and operation of sacraments. The traditional view ...
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forgery
forgery in criminal law, willful fabrication or alteration of a written document with the intent to injure the interests of another in a fraudulent manner. The crime may be committed even though the fraudulent scheme fails. The forgery of government obligations—e.g., money, bonds, postage sta...
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Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger d. 401 BC, Persian prince, younger son of Darius II and Parysatis. He was his mother's favorite, and she managed to get several satrapies in Asia Minor for him when he was very young. His friendship toward Lysander helped Sparta achieve victory in the Peloponnesian War . Cyru...
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malice
malice in law, an intentional violation of the law of crimes or torts that injures another person. Malice need not involve a malignant spirit or the definite intent to do harm. To prove malice, it is sufficient to show the willful doing of an injurious act without what is considered a lawful excu...
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abandonment
abandonment in law, voluntary, intentional, and absolute relinquishment of rights or property without conveying them to any other person. Abandonment also means willfully leaving one's spouse or children, intending not to return (see desertion ). In many states the abandonment of a child is a crim...
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ballad opera
ballad opera in English drama, a play of comic, satiric, or pastoral intent, interspersed with songs, most of them sung to popular airs. First and best was The Beggar's Opera (1728) by John Gay . The vogue for these operas lasted until c.1750.
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burglary
burglary at common law , the breaking and entering of a dwelling house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony , whether the intent is carried out or not. This definition has been generally adopted with some modifications in the criminal law of the various states of the United Stat...
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