from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Secure \Se*cure"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Secured}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Securing}.]
1. To make safe; to relieve from apprehensions of, or
exposure to, danger; to guard; to protect.
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I spread a cloud before the victor's sight,
Sustained the vanquished, and secured his flight.
--Dryden.
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2. To put beyond hazard of losing or of not receiving; to
make certain; to assure; to insure; -- frequently with
against or from, rarely with of; as, to secure a creditor
against loss; to secure a debt by a mortgage.
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It secures its possessor of eternal happiness. --T.
Dick.
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3. To make fast; to close or confine effectually; to render
incapable of getting loose or escaping; as, to secure a
prisoner; to secure a door, or the hatches of a ship.
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4. To get possession of; to make one's self secure of; to
acquire certainly; as, to secure an estate.
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{Secure arms} (Mil.), a command and a position in the manual
of arms, used in wet weather, the object being to guard
the firearm from becoming wet. The piece is turned with
the barrel to the front and grasped by the right hand at
the lower band, the muzzle is dropped to the front, and
the piece held with the guard under the right arm, the
hand supported against the hip, and the thumb on the
rammer.
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