Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Contingent"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Use \Use\, n. [OE. us use, usage, L. usus, from uti, p. p. usus,
to use. See {Use}, v. t.]
1. The act of employing anything, or of applying it to one's
service; the state of being so employed or applied;
application; employment; conversion to some purpose; as,
the use of a pen in writing; his machines are in general
use.

Books can never teach the use of books. --Bacon.

This Davy serves you for good uses. --Shak.

When he framed All things to man's delightful use.
--Milton.

2. Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no
further use for a book. --Shak.

3. Yielding of service; advantage derived; capability of
being used; usefulness; utility.

God made two great lights, great for their use To
man. --Milton.

'T is use alone that sanctifies expense. --Pope.

4. Continued or repeated practice; customary employment;
usage; custom; manner; habit.

Let later age that noble use envy. --Spenser.

How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me
all the uses of this world! --Shak.

5. Common occurrence; ordinary experience. [R.]

O C[ae]sar! these things are beyond all use. --Shak.

6. (Eccl.) The special form of ritual adopted for use in any
diocese; as, the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the Hereford
use; the York use; the Roman use; etc.

From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but
one use. --Pref. to
Book of Common
Prayer.

7. The premium paid for the possession and employment of
borrowed money; interest; usury. [Obs.]

Thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use
and principal, to him. --Jer. Taylor.

8. [In this sense probably a corruption of OF. oes, fr. L.
opus need, business, employment, work. Cf. {Operate}.]
(Law) The benefit or profit of lands and tenements. Use
imports a trust and confidence reposed in a man for the
holding of lands. He to whose use or benefit the trust is
intended shall enjoy the profits. An estate is granted and
limited to A for the use of B.

9. (Forging) A stab of iron welded to the side of a forging,
as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by
hammering, so as to lengthen the forging.

{Contingent}, or {Springing}, {use} (Law), a use to come into
operation on a future uncertain event.

{In use}.
(a) In employment; in customary practice observance.
(b) In heat; -- said especially of mares. --J. H. Walsh.

{Of no use}, useless; of no advantage.

{Of use}, useful; of advantage; profitable.

{Out of use}, not in employment.

{Resulting use} (Law), a use, which, being limited by the
deed, expires or can not vest, and results or returns to
him who raised it, after such expiration.

{Secondary}, or {Shifting}, {use}, a use which, though
executed, may change from one to another by circumstances.
--Blackstone.

{Statute of uses} (Eng. Law), the stat. 27 Henry VIII., cap.
10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites
the use and possession.

{To make use of}, {To put to use}, to employ; to derive
service from; to use.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Contingent \Con*tin"gent\, a. [L. contingens, -entis, p. pr. of
contingere to touch on all sides, to happen; con- + tangere
to touch: cf. F. contingent. See {Tangent}, {Tact}.]
1. Possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur;
incidental; casual.

Weighing so much actual crime against so much
contingent advantage. --Burke.

2. Dependent on that which is undetermined or unknown; as,
the success of his undertaking is contingent upon events
which he can not control. ``Uncertain and contingent
causes.'' --Tillotson.

3. (Law) Dependent for effect on something that may or may
not occur; as, a contingent estate.

If a contingent legacy be left to any one when he
attains, or if he attains, the age of twenty-one.
--Blackstone.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Contingent \Con*tin"gent\, n.
1. An event which may or may not happen; that which is
unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something
future; a contingency.

His understanding could almost pierce into future
contingets. --South.

2. That which falls to one in a division or apportionment
among a number; a suitable share; proportion; esp., a
quota of troops.

From the Alps to the border of Flanders, contingents
were required . . . 200,000 men were in arms.
--Milman.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

contingent
adj 1: possible but not certain to occur; "they had to plan for
contingent expenses"
2: determined by conditions or circumstances not yet
established; "arms sales contingent on the approval of
congress" [syn: {contingent on(p)}, {dependent on(p)}, {dependant
on(p)}, {depending on(p)}]
3: uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances; "the
results of confession were not contingent, they were
certain"- George Eliot
n 1: a gathering of persons representative of some larger group;
"each nation sent a contingent of athletes to the
Olympics"
2: a temporary military unit; "the peace-keeping force includes
one British contingent" [syn: {detail}]


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