Limit

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Limit \Lim"it\ (l[i^]m"[i^]t), n. [From L. limes, limitis: cf.
     F. limite; -or from E. limit, v. See {Limit}, v. t.]
     1. That which terminates, circumscribes, restrains, or
        confines; the bound, border, or edge; the utmost extent;
        as, the limit of a walk, of a town, of a country; the
        limits of human knowledge or endeavor.


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              As eager of the chase, the maid
              Beyond the forest's verdant limits strayed. --Pope.
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     2. The space or thing defined by limits.
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              The archdeacon hath divided it
              Into three limits very equally.       --Shak.
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     3. That which terminates a period of time; hence, the period
        itself; the full time or extent.
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              The dateless limit of thy dear exile. --Shak.
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              The limit of your lives is out.       --Shak.
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     4. A restriction; a check; a curb; a hindrance.
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              I prithee, give no limits to my tongue. --Shak.
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     5. (Logic & Metaph.) A determining feature; a distinguishing
        characteristic; a differentia.
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     6. (Math.) A determinate quantity, to which a variable one
        continually approaches, and may differ from it by less
        than any given difference, but to which, under the law of
        variation, the variable can never become exactly
        equivalent.
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     {Elastic limit}. See under {Elastic}.
  
     {Prison limits}, a definite, extent of space in or around a
        prison, within which a prisoner has liberty to go and
        come.
  
     Syn: Boundary; border; edge; termination; restriction; bound;
          confine.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Limit \Lim"it\, v. i.
     To beg, or to exercise functions, within a certain limited
     region; as, a limiting friar. [Obs.]
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Limit \Lim"it\ (l[i^]m"[i^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Limited}; p.
     pr. & vb. n. {Limiting}.] [F. limiter, L. limitare, fr.
     limes, limitis, limit; prob. akin to limen threshold, E.
     eliminate; cf. L. limus sidelong.]
     To apply a limit to, or set a limit for; to terminate,
     circumscribe, or restrict, by a limit or limits; as, to limit
     the acreage of a crop; to limit the issue of paper money; to
     limit one's ambitions or aspirations; to limit the meaning of
     a word.
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     {Limiting parallels} (Astron.), those parallels of latitude
        between which only an occultation of a star or planet by
        the moon, in a given case, can occur.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  limit
       n 1: the greatest possible degree of something; "what he did was
            beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior"; "to the limit
            of his ability" [syn: {bounds}, {boundary}]
       2: final or latest limiting point [syn: {terminus ad quem}, {terminal
          point}]
       3: the boundary of a specific area [syn: {demarcation}, {demarcation
          line}]
       4: as far as something can go
       5: the mathematical value toward which a function goes as the
          independent variable approaches infinity [syn: {limit
          point}, {point of accumulation}]
       6: the greatest amount of something that is possible or
          allowed; "there are limits on the amount you can bet"; "it
          is growing rapidly with no limitation in sight" [syn: {limitation}]
       v 1: place limits on (extent or access); "restrict the use of
            this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with
            your friends" [syn: {restrict}, {restrain}, {trammel}, {bound},
             {confine}, {throttle}]
       2: restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a
          day" [syn: {circumscribe}, {confine}]
       3: decide upon or fix definitely; "fix the variables"; "specify
          the parameters" [syn: {specify}, {set}, {determine}, {fix}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  253 Moby Thesaurus words for "limit":
     Thule, Ultima Thule, abate, accommodation, acme, adjust to, all,
     alter, apex, apogee, appoint, area, assign, assuage, bar, be into,
     be strong in, bitter end, border, border line, bottom dollar,
     bound, boundary, boundary condition, boundary line, bounds, bourn,
     box, box in, box up, break boundary, breakoff point, bridle, brim,
     brink, brow, burden, butt, butt end, cap, capacity, caution,
     ceiling, channel, check, circumscribe, circumscription, climax,
     cloud nine, compass, condition, confine, confinement, confines,
     constrict, contain, content, continence, contract, copyright,
     cordage, cramp, crest, crown, culmen, culmination, curb, cutoff,
     cutoff point, deadline, define, delimit, delimitate, delimitation,
     determinant, determine, diminish, discipline, district, divide,
     division line, draw in, draw the line, edge, enclose, end, enough,
     environs, extent, extreme, extreme limit, extremity, fag end,
     farthest bound, feature, finish, fix, floor, focus, follow,
     frontier, go in, go in for, guide, heaven, heavens, hedge,
     hedge about, height, hem, hem in, high noon, high-water mark,
     highest degree, highest pitch, highest point, hinder,
     hold in check, inhibit, interface, it, joke, jumping-off place,
     keep from spreading, keep within bounds, leaven, lessen, limen,
     limitation, limiting factor, limits, line, line of demarcation,
     localize, low-water mark, lower limit, major in, march, margin,
     mark, mark out, maximum, measure, meridian, mete, minor in,
     mitigate, moderate, moderation, modify, modulate, mountaintop,
     narrow, ne plus ultra, nib, no place higher, noon, nth degree,
     outrage, palliate, patent, peak, perimeter, periphery, pinch,
     pinnacle, pitch, point, pole, poundage, precincts, prescribe,
     prescription, proscription, purlieus, pursue, qualification,
     qualify, quantity, quarter, reduce, region, register, regulate by,
     restrain, restraint, restrict, restriction, ridge, rim, room,
     scant, season, separate, set, set conditions, set limits,
     seventh heaven, sky, snape, soften, space, specialize,
     specialize in, spire, stand, start, starting line, starting point,
     stint, stowage, straiten, stub, stump, summit, surprise, surround,
     tag, tag end, tail, tail end, taper, target date, temper, term,
     terminal date, termination, terminus, territory, the last straw,
     the limit, the whole, threshold, tighten, time allotment, tip,
     tip-top, tonnage, too much, top, upmost, upper extremity,
     upper limit, uppermost, utmost, utmost extent, uttermost, verge,
     vertex, very top, volume, zenith, zone