Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Constant

Con′stant (kŏn′stant), a. [L. onstans, -antis, p. pr. of constare to stand firm, to be consistent; con- + stare to stand: cf. F. constant. See Stand and cf. Cost, v. t.] 1. Firm; solid; fixed; immovable; — opposed to fluid. [Obs.]

If . . . you mix them, you may turn these two fluid liquors into a constant body. Boyle.

2. Not liable, or given, to change; permanent; regular; continuous; continually recurring; steadfast; faithful; not fickle.

Both loving one fair maid, they yet remained constant friends. Sir P. Sidney.

I am constant to my purposes. Shak.

His gifts, his constant courtship, nothing gained. Dryden.

Onward the constant current sweeps. Longfellow.

3. (Math. & Physics) Remaining unchanged or invariable, as a quantity, force, law, etc. Contrasted with variable.

4. Consistent; logical. [Obs.] Shak.

Syn. — Fixed; steadfast; unchanging; permanent; unalterable; immutable; invariable; perpetual; continual; resolute; firm; unshaken; determined. — Constant, Continual, Perpetual. These words are sometimes used in an absolute and sometimes in a qualified sense. Constant denotes, in its absolute sense, unchangeably fixed; as, a constant mind or purpose. In its qualified sense, it marks something as a "standing" fact or occurence; as, liable to constant interruptions; constantly called for. Continual, in its absolute sense, coincides with continuous. See Continuous. In its qualified sense, it describes a thing as occuring in steady and rapid succession; as, a round of continual calls; continually changing. Perpetual denotes, in its absolute sense, what literally never ceases or comes to an end; as, perpetual motion. In its qualified sense, it is used hyperbolically, and denotes that which rarely ceases; as, perpetual disturbance; perpetual noise; perpetual intermeddling.

Con′stant, n. 1. That which is not subject to change; that which is invariable.

2. (Math.) A quantity that does not change its value; — used in countradistinction to variable.

Absolute constant (Math.), one whose value is absolutely the same under all circumstances, as the number 10, or any numeral. — Arbitrary constant, an undetermined constant in a differential equation having the same value during all changes in the values of the variables.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.