GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Found 3 definitions

  1.       
    Insult (?), n. [L. insultus, fr. insilire to leap upon: cf. F. insulte. See Insult, v. t.]

    [1913 Webster]


    1. The act of leaping on; onset; attack. [Obs.] Dryden.

    [1913 Webster]


    2. Gross abuse offered to another, either by word or act; an act or speech of insolence or contempt; a deprecatory remark; an affront; an indignity.

    [1913 Webster]

    The ruthless sneer that insult adds to grief. Savage.


    3. (Med., Biology) An injury to an organism; trauma; as, “to produce an experimental insult to investigate healing processes”.

    [PJC]

    Syn. -- Affront; indignity; abuse; outrage; contumely. See Affront.

    [1913 Webster]

  2.       
    Insult (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Insulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Insulting.] [F. insulter, L. insultare, freq. fr. insilire to leap into or upon; pref. in- in, on + salire to leap. See Salient.]

    [1913 Webster]


    1. To leap or trample upon; to make a sudden onset upon. [Obs.] Shak.

    [1913 Webster]


    2. To treat with abuse, insolence, indignity, or contempt, by word or action; to abuse; as, “to call a man a coward or a liar, or to sneer at him, is to insult him”.

    [1913 Webster]

  3.       
    Insult, v. i.
    1. To leap or jump.

    [1913 Webster]

    Give me thy knife, I will insult on him. Shak.

    [1913 Webster]

    Like the frogs in the apologue, insulting upon their wooden king. Jer. Taylor.

    [1913 Webster]


    2. To behave with insolence; to exult. [Archaic]

    [1913 Webster]

    The lion being dead, even hares insult. Daniel.

    [1913 Webster]

    An unwillingness to insult over their helpless fatuity. Landor.

    [1913 Webster]