Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Doubt"

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

Doubt \Doubt\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Dou?ted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Doubting}.] [OE. duten, douten, OF. duter, doter, douter, F.
douter, fr. L. dubitare; akin to dubius doubtful. See
{Dubious}.]
1. To waver in opinion or judgment; to be in uncertainty as
to belief respecting anything; to hesitate in belief; to
be undecided as to the truth of the negative or the
affirmative proposition; to b e undetermined.

Even in matters divine, concerning some things, we
may lawfully doubt, and suspend our judgment.
--Hooker.

To try your love and make you doubt of mine.
--Dryden.

2. To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive. [Obs.]

Syn: To waver; vacillate; fluctuate; hesitate; demur;
scruple; question.

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

Doubt \Doubt\, v. t.
1. To question or hold questionable; to withhold assent to;
to hesitate to believe, or to be inclined not to believe;
to withhold confidence from; to distrust; as, I have heard
the story, but I doubt the truth of it.

To admire superior sense, and doubt their own!
--Pope.

I doubt not that however changed, you keep So much
of what is graceful. --Tennyson.

{To doubt not but}.

I do not doubt but I have been to blame. --Dryden.

We doubt not now But every rub is smoothed on our
way. --Shak.

Note: That is, we have no doubt to prevent us from believing,
etc. (or notwithstanding all that may be said to the
contrary) -- but having a preventive sense, after verbs
of ``doubting'' and ``denying'' that convey a notion of
hindrance. --E. A. Abbott.

2. To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive of. [Obs.]

Edmond [was a] good man and doubted God. --R. of
Gloucester.

I doubt some foul play. --Shak.

That I of doubted danger had no fear. --Spenser.

3. To fill with fear; to affright. [Obs.]

The virtues of the valiant Caratach More doubt me
than all Britain. --Beau. & Fl.

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

Doubt \Doubt\, n. [OE. dute, doute, F. doute, fr. douter to
doubt. See {Doubt}, v. i.]
1. A fluctuation of mind arising from defect of knowledge or
evidence; uncertainty of judgment or mind; unsettled state
of opinion concerning the reality of an event, or the
truth of an assertion, etc.; hesitation.

Doubt is the beginning and the end of our efforts to
know. --Sir W.
Hamilton.

Doubt, in order to be operative in requiring an
acquittal, is not the want of perfect certainty
(which can never exist in any question of fact) but
a defect of proof preventing a reasonable assurance
of quilt. --Wharton.

2. Uncertainty of condition.

Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee. --Deut.
xxviii. 66.

3. Suspicion; fear; apprehension; dread. [Obs.]

I stand in doubt of you. --Gal. iv. 20.

Nor slack her threatful hand for danger's doubt.
--Spenser.

4. Difficulty expressed or urged for solution; point
unsettled; objection.

To every doubt your answer is the same. --Blackmore.

{No doubt}, undoubtedly; without doubt.

{Out of doubt}, beyond doubt. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Syn: Uncertainty; hesitation; suspense; indecision;
irresolution; distrust; suspicion; scruple; perplexity;
ambiguity; skepticism.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

doubt
n 1: the state of being unsure of something [syn: {uncertainty},
{incertitude}, {dubiety}, {doubtfulness}, {dubiousness}]
[ant: {certainty}]
2: uncertainty about the truth or factuality of existence of
something; "the dubiousness of his claim"; "there is no
question about the validity of the enterprise" [syn: {dubiousness},
{doubtfulness}, {question}]
v 1: consider unlikely or have doubts about
2: suspect to be false; "I distrust that man" [syn: {suspect},
{distrust}]
3: lack confidence in; "I doubt these reports"


Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup

Enter word here:
Exact Approx


dict.stokkie.net
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents; see the Webster Gateway FAQ, and also the Back-end/database links and credits.