v. t. | 1. | To examine the character or qualities of, as of two or more persons or things, for the purpose of discovering their resemblances or differences; to bring into comparison; to regard with discriminating attention. |
| 2. | To represent as similar, for the purpose of illustration; to liken. |
| 3. | (Gram.) To inflect according to the degrees of comparison; to state positive, comparative, and superlative forms of; as, most adjectives of one syllable are compared by affixing "- er" and "-est" to the positive form; as, black, blacker, blackest; those of more than one syllable are usually compared by prefixing "more" and "most", or "less" and "least", to the positive; as, beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful. |
v. i. | 1. | To be like or equal; to admit, or be worthy of, comparison; as, his later work does not compare with his earlier. |
| 2. | To vie; to assume a likeness or equality. |
n. | 1. | Comparison. |
| 2. | Illustration by comparison; simile. |
v. t. | 1. | To get; to procure; to obtain; to acquire |