Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Perpetual \Per*pet"u*al\, a. [OE. perpetuel, F. perp['e]tuel,
fr. L. perpetualis, fr. perpetuus continuing throughout,
continuous, fr. perpes, -etis, lasting throughout.]
Neverceasing; continuing forever or for an unlimited time;
unfailing; everlasting; continuous.
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Unto the kingdom of perpetual night. --Shak.
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Perpetual feast of nectared sweets. --Milton.
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Circle of perpetual apparition, or Circle of perpetualoccultation. See under Circle.
Perpetual calendar, a calendar so devised that it may be
adjusted for any month or year.
Perpetual curacy (Ch. of Eng.), a curacy in which all the
tithes are appropriated, and no vicarage is endowed.
--Blackstone.
Perpetual motion. See under Motion.
Perpetual screw. See Endless screw, under Screw.
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Syn: Continual; unceasing; endless; everlasting; incessant;
constant; eternal. See Constant.
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Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Tax \Tax\, n. [F. taxe, fr. taxer to tax, L. taxare to touch,
sharply, to feel, handle, to censure, value, estimate, fr.
tangere, tactum, to touch. See Tangent, and cf. Task,
Taste.]
1. A charge, especially a pecuniary burden which is imposed
by authority. Specifically:
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(a) A charge or burden laid upon persons or property for
the support of a government.
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A farmer of taxes is, of all creditors,
proverbially the most rapacious. --Macaulay.
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(b) Especially, the sum laid upon specific things, as upon
polls, lands, houses, income, etc.; as, a land tax; a
window tax; a tax on carriages, and the like.
Note: Taxes are annual or perpetual, direct or
indirect, etc.
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(c) A sum imposed or levied upon the members of a society
to defray its expenses.
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2. A task exacted from one who is under control; a
contribution or service, the rendering of which is imposed
upon a subject.
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3. A disagreeable or burdensome duty or charge; as, a heavy
tax on time or health.
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4. Charge; censure. [Obs.] --Clarendon.
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5. A lesson to be learned; a task. [Obs.] --Johnson.
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Tax cart, a spring cart subject to a low tax. [Eng.]
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Syn: Impost; tribute; contribution; duty; toll; rate;
assessment; exaction; custom; demand.
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perpetual
adj 1: continuing forever or indefinitely; "the ageless themes of
love and revenge"; "eternal truths"; "life
everlasting"; "hell's perpetual fires"; "the unending
bliss of heaven" [syn: ageless, eternal, everlasting,
unending, unceasing]
2: uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing; "the
ceaseless thunder of surf"; "in constant pain"; "night and
day we live with the incessant noise of the city"; "the
never-ending search for happiness"; "the perpetual
struggle to maintain standards in a democracy"; "man's
unceasing warfare with drought and isolation";
"unremitting demands of hunger" [syn: ceaseless, constant,
incessant, never-ending, unceasing, unremitting]
3: occurring so frequently as to seem ceaseless or
uninterrupted; "a child's incessant questions"; "your
perpetual (or continual) complaints" [syn: incessant, endless]
Source: Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
PERPETUAL. That which is to last without limitation as to time; as, a
perpetual statute, which is one without limit as to time, although not
expressed to be so.
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