GOLDSMITH _Deserted Village_, l. 184.

A _trick_ is often low, injurious, and malicious; we say a mean _trick_; the word is sometimes used playfully with less than its full meaning. A _ruse_ or a _blind_ may be quite innocent and harmless. An _artifice_ is a carefully and delicately prepared _contrivance_ for doing indirectly what one could not well do directly. A _device_ is something studied out for promoting an end, as in a mechanism; the word is used of indirect action, often, but not necessarily directed to an evil, selfish, or injurious end. _Finesse_ is especially subtle _contrivance_, delicate _artifice_, whether for good or evil. Compare FRAUD.

Antonyms:

artlessness, frankness, ingenuousness, openness, sincerity, candor, guilelessness, innocence, simplicity, truth.

fairness, honesty,

ARTIST.

Synonyms:

artificer, artisan, mechanic, operative, workman.

_Artist_, _artificer_ and _artisan_ are all from the root of _art_, but _artist_ holds to the esthetic sense, while _artificer_ and _artisan_ follow the mechanical or industrial sense of the word (see ART under SCIENCE). _Artist_ thus comes only into accidental a.s.sociation with the other words of this group, not being a synonym of any one of them and having practically no synonym of its own. The work of the _artist_ is creative; that of the _artisan_ mechanical. The man who paints a beautiful picture is an _artist_; the man who makes pin-heads all day is an _artisan_. The _artificer_ is between the two, putting more thought, intelligence, and taste into his work than the _artisan_, but less of the idealizing, creative power than the _artist_. The sculptor, shaping his model in clay, is _artificer_, as well as _artist_; patient _artisans_, working simply by rule and scale, chisel and polish the stone. The man who constructs anything by mere routine and rule is a _mechanic_. The man whose work involves thought, skill, and constructive power is an _artificer_. The hod-carrier is a _laborer_; the bricklayer is a _mechanic_; the master mason is an _artificer_. Those who operate machinery nearly self-acting are _operatives_.

ASK.

Synonyms:

beg, crave, entreat, pet.i.tion, request, solicit, beseech, demand, implore, pray, require, supplicate.

One _asks_ what he feels that he may fairly claim and reasonably expect; "if a son shall _ask_ bread of any of you that is a father," _Luke_ xi, 11; he _begs_ for that to which he advances no claim but pity. _Demand_ is a determined and often an arrogant word; one may rightfully _demand_ what is his own or his due, when it is withheld or denied; or he may wrongfully _demand_ that to which he has no claim but power. _Require_ is less arrogant and obtrusive than _demand_, but is exceedingly strenuous; as, the court _requires_ the attendance of witnesses.

_Entreat_ implies a special earnestness of asking, and _beseech_, a still added and more humble intensity; _beseech_ was formerly often used as a polite intensive for _beg_ or _pray_; as, I _beseech_ you to tell me. To _implore_ is to _ask_ with weeping and lamentation; to _supplicate_ is to _ask_, as it were, on bended knees. _Crave_ and _request_ are somewhat formal terms; _crave_ has almost disappeared from conversation; _request_ would seem distant between parent and child.

_Pray_ is now used chiefly of address to the Supreme Being; _pet.i.tion_ is used of written request to persons in authority; as, to _pet.i.tion_ the legislature to pa.s.s an act, or the governor to pardon an offender.

Antonyms:

claim, deny, enforce, exact, extort, insist, refuse, reject.

command,

Prepositions:

Ask a person _for_ a thing; ask a thing _of_ or _from_ a person; ask _after_ or _about_ one's health, welfare, friends, etc.

a.s.sOCIATE.

Synonyms:

accomplice, coadjutor, comrade, fellow, mate, ally, colleague, confederate, friend, partner, chum, companion, consort, helpmate, peer.

An _a.s.sociate_ as used officially implies a chief, leader, or princ.i.p.al, to whom the _a.s.sociate_ is not fully equal in rank. _a.s.sociate_ is popularly used of mere friendly relations, but oftener implies some work, enterprise, or pursuit in which the a.s.sociated persons unite. We rarely speak of _a.s.sociates_ in crime or wrong, using _confederates_ or _accomplices_ instead. _Companion_ gives itself with equal readiness to the good or evil sense, as also does _comrade_. One may be a _companion_ in travel who would not readily become an _a.s.sociate_ at home. A lady advertises for a _companion_; she would not advertise for an _a.s.sociate_. _Peer_ implies equality rather than companionship; as, a jury of his _peers_. _Comrade_ expresses more fellowship and good feeling than _companion_. _Fellow_ has almost gone out of use in this connection, except in an inferior or patronizing sense. _Consort_ is a word of equality and dignity, as applied especially to the marriage relation. Compare ACCESSORY; ACQUAINTANCE; FRIENDSHIP.

Antonyms:

antagonist, foe, hinderer, opponent, opposer, rival, stranger.

enemy,

Prepositions:

These were the a.s.sociates _of_ the leader _in_ the enterprise.

a.s.sOCIATION.

Synonyms:

alliance, confederacy, familiarity, lodge, club, confederation, federation, partic.i.p.ation, community, conjunction, fellowship, partnership, companionship, connection, fraternity, society, company, corporation, friendship, union.

We speak of an _alliance_ of nations, a _club_ of pleasure-seekers, a _community_ of Shakers, a _company_ of soldiers or of friends, a _confederacy_, _confederation_, _federation_, or _union_ of separate states under one general government, a _partnership_ or _company_ of business men, a _conjunction_ of planets. The whole body of Freemasons const.i.tute a _fraternity_; one of their local organizations is called a _lodge_. A _corporation_ or _company_ is formed for purposes of business; an _a.s.sociation_ or _society_ (tho also incorporated) is for learning, literature, benevolence, religion, etc. Compare a.s.sOCIATE; ACQUAINTANCE; FRIENDSHIP.

Antonyms:

disintegration, independence, isolation, separation, solitude.

Prepositions:

An a.s.sociation _of_ scholars _for_ the advancement of knowledge; a.s.sociation _with_ the good is enn.o.bling.

a.s.sUME.

Synonyms:

accept, arrogate, postulate, put on, affect, claim, presume, take, appropriate, feign, pretend, usurp.

The distinctive idea of _a.s.sume_ is to _take_ by one's own independent volition, whether well or ill, rightfully or wrongfully. One may _accept_ an obligation or _a.s.sume_ an authority that properly belongs to him, or he may _a.s.sume_ an obligation or indebtedness that could not be required of him. He may _a.s.sume_ authority or office that is his right; if he _a.s.sumes_ what does not belong to him, he is said to _arrogate_ or _usurp_ it. A man may _usurp_ the substance of power in the most unpretending way; what he _arrogates_ to himself he _a.s.sumes_ with a haughty and overbearing manner. One _a.s.sumes_ the robes or insignia of office by _putting_ them _on_, with or without right. If he _takes_ to himself the credit and appearance of qualities he does not possess, he is said to _affect_ or _feign_, or to _pretend_ to, the character he thus _a.s.sumes_. What a debater _postulates_ he openly states and _takes_ for granted without proof; what he _a.s.sumes_ he may take for granted without mention. A favorite trick of the sophist is quietly to _a.s.sume_ as true what would at once be challenged if expressly stated. What a man _claims_ he a.s.serts his right to _take_; what he _a.s.sumes_ he _takes_.