Hypertext Webster Gateway: "monopolies"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Monopoly \Mo*nop"o*ly\, n.; pl. {Monopolies}. [L. monopolium,
Gr. ?, ?; mo`nos alone + ? to sell.]
1. The exclusive power, or privilege of selling a commodity;
the exclusive power, right, or privilege of dealing in
some article, or of trading in some market; sole command
of the traffic in anything, however obtained; as, the
proprietor of a patented article is given a monopoly of
its sale for a limited time; chartered trading companies
have sometimes had a monopoly of trade with remote
regions; a combination of traders may get a monopoly of a
particular product.
Raleigh held a monopoly of cards, Essex a monopoly
of sweet wines. --Macaulay.
2. Exclusive possession; as, a monopoly of land.
If I had a monopoly out, they would have part on 't.
--Shak.
3. The commodity or other material thing to which the
monopoly relates; as, tobacco is a monopoly in France.
[Colloq.]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
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.