2. Esp. in a good sense: The quality or state of deserving well; worth; excellence.
Reputation is . . . oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.
Shak.
To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And every author's merit, but his own.
Pope. 3. Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence or approbation; as, his teacher gave him ten merits.
Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth.
Prior. Merit
(Mer"it), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Merited; p. pr. & vb. n. Meriting.] [F. mériter, L. meritare, v. intens.
fr. merere. See Merit, n.]
1. To earn by service or performance; to have a right to claim as reward; to deserve; sometimes, to deserve
in a bad sense; as, to merit punishment. "This kindness merits thanks." Shak.
2. To reward. [R. & Obs.] Chapman.
Merit
(Mer"it), v. i. To acquire desert; to gain value; to receive benefit; to profit. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Meritable
(Mer"it*a*ble) a. Deserving of reward. [R.]
Meritedly
(Mer"it*ed*ly), adv. By merit; deservedly.
Merithal
(Mer"i*thal ||Mer`i*thal"lus) n. [NL. merithallus, fr. Gr. or a part + a young shoot.] (Bot.)
Same as Internode.
Meritmonger
(Mer"it*mon`ger) n. One who depends on merit for salvation. [Obs.] Milner.
Meritorious
(Mer`i*to"ri*ous) a. [L. meritorius that brings in money.] Possessing merit; deserving of
reward or honor; worthy of recompense; valuable.
And meritorious shall that hand be called,
Canonized, and worshiped as a saint.
Shak. — Mer`i*to"ri*ous*ly, adv. — Mer`i*to"ri*ous*ness, n.
Meritory
(Mer"i*to*ry) a. Meritorious. [Obs.]
Meritot
(Mer"i*tot) n. A play of children, in swinging on ropes, or the like, till they are dizzy.
Merk
(Merk) n. [See Marc.] An old Scotch silver coin; a mark or marc. [Scot.]
Merk
(Merk), n. A mark; a sign. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Merke
(Merke) a. Murky. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.
Merkin
(Mer"kin) n. Originally, a wig; afterwards, a mop for cleaning cannon.
Merl
(Merl Merle), n. [F. merle, L. merula, merulus. Cf. Ousel.] (Zoöl.) The European blackbird.
See Blackbird. Drayton.
Merlin
(Mer"lin) n. [OE. merlion, F. émerillon ; cf. OHG. smirl, G. schmerl ; prob. fr. L. merula blackbird.
Cf. Merle.] (Zoöl.) A small European falcon (Falco lithofalco, or F. æsalon).
Merling
(Mer"ling) n. (Zoöl.) The European whiting.
