from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Probable \Prob"a*ble\, a. [L. probabilis, fr. probare to try,
approve, prove: cf. F. probable. See {Prove}, and cf.
{Provable}.]
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1. Capable of being proved. [Obs.]
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2. Having more evidence for than against; supported by
evidence which inclines the mind to believe, but leaves
some room for doubt; likely.
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That is accounted probable which has better
arguments producible for it than can be brought
against it. --South.
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I do not say that the principles of religion are
merely probable; I have before asserted them to be
morally certain. --Bp. Wilkins.
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3. Rendering probable; supporting, or giving ground for,
belief, but not demonstrating; as, probable evidence;
probable presumption. --Blackstone.
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{Probable cause} (Law), a reasonable ground of presumption
that a charge is, or my be, well founded.
{Probable error} (of an observation, or of the mean of a
number), that within which, taken positively and
negatively, there is an even chance that the real error
shall lie. Thus, if 3[sec] is the probable error in a
given case, the chances that the real error is greater
than 3[sec] are equal to the chances that it is less. The
probable error is computed from the observations made, and
is used to express their degree of accuracy.
{The probable}, that which is within the bounds of
probability; that which is not unnatural or preternatural;
-- opposed to the marvelous.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Error \Er"ror\, n. [OF. error, errur, F. erreur, L. error, fr.
errare to err. See {Err}.]
1. A wandering; a roving or irregular course. [Obs.]
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The rest of his journey, his error by sea. --B.
Jonson.
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2. A wandering or deviation from the right course or
standard; irregularity; mistake; inaccuracy; something
made wrong or left wrong; as, an error in writing or in
printing; a clerical error.
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3. A departing or deviation from the truth; falsity; false
notion; wrong opinion; mistake; misapprehension.
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His judgment was often in error, though his candor
remained unimpaired. --Bancroft.
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4. A moral offense; violation of duty; a sin or
transgression; iniquity; fault. --Ps. xix. 12.
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5. (Math.) The difference between the approximate result and
the true result; -- used particularly in the rule of
double position.
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6. (Mensuration)
(a) The difference between an observed value and the true
value of a quantity.
(b) The difference between the observed value of a
quantity and that which is taken or computed to be the
true value; -- sometimes called {residual error}.
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7. (Law.) A mistake in the proceedings of a court of record
in matters of law or of fact.
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8. (Baseball) A fault of a player of the side in the field
which results in failure to put out a player on the other
side, or gives him an unearned base.
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{Law of error}, or {Law of frequency of error} (Mensuration),
the law which expresses the relation between the magnitude
of an error and the frequency with which that error will
be committed in making a large number of careful
measurements of a quantity.
{Probable error}. (Mensuration) See under {Probable}.
{Writ of error} (Law), an original writ, which lies after
judgment in an action at law, in a court of record, to
correct some alleged error in the proceedings, or in the
judgment of the court. --Bouvier. Burrill.
Syn: Mistake; fault; blunder; failure; fallacy; delusion;
hallucination; sin. See {Blunder}.
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