Search Result for "effect": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (6)

1. a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon;
- Example: "the magnetic effect was greater when the rod was lengthwise"
- Example: "his decision had depressing consequences for business"
- Example: "he acted very wise after the event"
[syn: consequence, effect, outcome, result, event, issue, upshot]

2. an outward appearance;
- Example: "he made a good impression"
- Example: "I wanted to create an impression of success"
- Example: "she retained that bold effect in her reproductions of the original painting"
[syn: impression, effect]

3. an impression (especially one that is artificial or contrived);
- Example: "he just did it for effect"

4. the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work;
[syn: effect, essence, burden, core, gist]

5. (of a law) having legal validity;
- Example: "the law is still in effect"
[syn: effect, force]

6. a symptom caused by an illness or a drug;
- Example: "the effects of sleep loss"
- Example: "the effect of the anesthetic"


VERB (2)

1. produce;
- Example: "The scientists set up a shock wave"
[syn: effect, effectuate, set up]

2. act so as to bring into existence;
- Example: "effect a change"


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Effect \Ef*fect"\, n. [L. effectus, fr. efficere, effectum, to effect; ex + facere to make: cf. F. effet, formerly also spelled effect. See Fact.] 1. Execution; performance; realization; operation; as, the law goes into effect in May. [1913 Webster] That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Manifestation; expression; sign. [1913 Webster] All the large effects That troop with majesty. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. In general: That which is produced by an agent or cause; the event which follows immediately from an antecedent, called the cause; result; consequence; outcome; fruit; as, the effect of luxury. [1913 Webster] The effect is the unfailing index of the amount of the cause. --Whewell. [1913 Webster] 4. Impression left on the mind; sensation produced. [1913 Webster] Patchwork . . . introduced for oratorical effect. --J. C. Shairp. [1913 Webster] The effect was heightened by the wild and lonely nature of the place. --W. Irving. [1913 Webster] 5. Power to produce results; efficiency; force; importance; account; as, to speak with effect. [1913 Webster] 6. Consequence intended; purpose; meaning; general intent; -- with to. [1913 Webster] They spake to her to that effect. --2 Chron. xxxiv. 22. [1913 Webster] 7. The purport; the sum and substance. "The effect of his intent." --Chaucer. 8. Reality; actual meaning; fact, as distinguished from mere appearance. [1913 Webster] No other in effect than what it seems. --Denham. [1913 Webster] 9. pl. Goods; movables; personal estate; -- sometimes used to embrace real as well as personal property; as, the people escaped from the town with their effects. [1913 Webster] For effect, for an exaggerated impression or excitement. In effect, in fact; in substance. See 8, above. Of no effect, Of none effect, To no effect, or Without effect, destitute of results, validity, force, and the like; vain; fruitless. "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition." --Mark vii. 13. "All my study be to no effect." --Shak. To give effect to, to make valid; to carry out in practice; to push to its results. To take effect, to become operative, to accomplish aims. --Shak. Syn: Effect, Consequence, Result. Usage: These words indicate things which arise out of some antecedent, or follow as a consequent. Effect, which may be regarded as the generic term, denotes that which springs directly from something which can properly be termed a cause. A consequence is more remote, not being strictly caused, nor yet a mere sequence, but following out of and following indirectly, or in the train of events, something on which it truly depends. A result is still more remote and variable, like the rebound of an elastic body which falls in very different directions. We may foresee the effects of a measure, may conjecture its consequences, but can rarely discover its final results. [1913 Webster] Resolving all events, with their effects And manifold results, into the will And arbitration wise of the Supreme. --Cowper. [1913 Webster] Shun the bitter consequence, for know, The day thou eatest thereof, . . . thou shalt die. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Effect \Ef*fect"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Effected; p. pr. & vb. n. Effecting.] 1. To produce, as a cause or agent; to cause to be. [1913 Webster] So great a body such exploits to effect. --Daniel. [1913 Webster] 2. To bring to pass; to execute; to enforce; to achieve; to accomplish. [1913 Webster] To effect that which the divine counsels had decreed. --Bp. Hurd. [1913 Webster] They sailed away without effecting their purpose. --Jowett (Th. ). Syn: To accomplish; fulfill; achieve; complete; execute; perform; attain. See Accomplish. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

effect n 1: a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon; "the magnetic effect was greater when the rod was lengthwise"; "his decision had depressing consequences for business"; "he acted very wise after the event" [syn: consequence, effect, outcome, result, event, issue, upshot] 2: an outward appearance; "he made a good impression"; "I wanted to create an impression of success"; "she retained that bold effect in her reproductions of the original painting" [syn: impression, effect] 3: an impression (especially one that is artificial or contrived); "he just did it for effect" 4: the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work [syn: effect, essence, burden, core, gist] 5: (of a law) having legal validity; "the law is still in effect" [syn: effect, force] 6: a symptom caused by an illness or a drug; "the effects of sleep loss"; "the effect of the anesthetic" v 1: produce; "The scientists set up a shock wave" [syn: effect, effectuate, set up] 2: act so as to bring into existence; "effect a change"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

462 Moby Thesaurus words for "effect": Z, abide by, accomplish, achieve, actualize, actually, adhere to, administer, affective meaning, aftereffect, aftermath, aim, ambition, amperage, angle, animus, apodosis, armipotence, artifact, ascendancy, aspect, aspiration, at bottom, attain, author, authority, basically, bear, bearing, beef, beget, black power, brainchild, breed, bring, bring about, bring forth, bring off, bring on, bring to effect, bring to pass, brute force, call forth, capacity, carry out, carry through, catastrophe, cause, ceasing, cessation, charge, charisma, charm, child, clout, coda, cogence, cogency, coinage, coloring, commit, compass, complete, composition, compulsion, conceive, conclusion, concoction, configuration, connotation, consequence, constitute, consummate, consummation, contrive, control, corollary, counsel, crack of doom, create, creation, creature, credit, crowning achievement, culmination, curtain, curtains, deal with, death, decease, denotation, denouement, descendant, desideration, desideratum, design, desire, destination, destiny, determination, development, dint, discharge, dispatch, dispose of, distillation, do, do the job, do the trick, do to, dominance, domination, doom, draw down, draw on, drift, drive, duress, dynasty, effectively, effectiveness, effectuality, effectuate, efficacy, eidolon, elicit, eminence, enact, enchantment, end, end point, end product, ending, energy, enforce, engender, envoi, epilogue, eschatology, essence, essentially, establish, esteem, event, eventuality, evoke, execute, expiration, extension, extract, facet, fashion, fate, father, favor, feature, fetch, figure, fill out, final solution, final twitch, final words, finale, finality, finis, finish, fixed purpose, flower power, force, force majeure, forcefulness, form, found, fruit, fulfill, full blast, full force, function, generate, gestalt, gestate, get, gist, give birth to, give origin to, give rise to, go and do, goal, good feeling, grammatical meaning, guise, handiwork, heir, hold, honor, idea, image, imago, impact, implement, implication, import, importance, impression, in effect, in truth, inaugurate, incept, incidental power, induce, inflict, influence, influentiality, insinuation, inspire, install, instigate, institute, intendment, intension, intent, intention, invention, invoke, issue, izzard, knock off, last, last breath, last gasp, last things, last trumpet, last words, latter end, lead, leadership, leverage, lexical meaning, light, likeness, line, lineage, lineaments, literal meaning, look, magnetism, main force, main strength, make, make out, mana, manage, manner, manufacture, masterpiece, masterwork, mastery, materialize, meaning, might, might and main, mightiness, mind, mintage, moment, more or less, motivate, motive, moxie, muscle power, new mintage, nisus, object, objective, observe, obtain, occasion, offspring, omega, opera, opus, opuscule, organize, originate, origination, outcome, outgrowth, overtone, pay, payoff, perform, period, peroration, perpetrate, personality, persuasion, pertinence, phase, phasis, pith, pizzazz, plan, point, polish off, poop, posterity, potence, potency, potentiality, power, power pack, power structure, power struggle, powerfulness, practical consequence, precipitate, predominance, preponderance, prepotency, pressure, prestige, procure, produce, product, production, productiveness, productivity, project, promulgate, proposal, prosecute, prospectus, provoke, puissance, pull, pull off, punch, purchase, purport, purpose, pursuance, push, put away, put in force, put through, quietus, ramification, range of meaning, real meaning, realize, really, reference, referent, regard, reign, relation, relevance, render, repercussion, repute, resolution, resolve, respect, resting place, result, rule, sake, say, scope, secure, seeming, semantic cluster, semantic field, semblance, sensation, sense, sequel, sequence, set afloat, set on foot, set up, shape, side, significance, signification, significatum, signifie, simulacrum, sinew, sire, slant, so to speak, span of meaning, spirit, steam, stoppage, stopping place, strength, striving, strong arm, structural meaning, study, style, suasion, substance, subtle influence, succeed, successor, suggestion, sum, sum and substance, superinduce, superiority, superpower, supremacy, swan song, sway, symbolic meaning, take and do, take care of, take effect, tenor, term, terminal, termination, terminus, things, total effect, totality of associations, transact, transferred meaning, truly, turn out, turn the trick, twist, unadorned meaning, undertone, up and do, upper hand, upshot, validity, value, vehemence, view, viewpoint, vigor, vim, virility, virtually, virtue, virulence, vitality, wattage, weight, whip hand, will, windup, wise, work, work out, wreak, yield
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

EFFECT. The operation of a law, of an agreement, or an act, is called its effect. 2. By the laws of the United States, a patent cannot be granted for an effect only, but it may be for a new mode or application of machinery to produce effects. 1 Gallis. 478; see 4 Mason, 1; Pet. C. C. R. 394; 2 N. H. R. 61.
The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

EFFECT, n. The second of two phenomena which always occur together in the same order. The first, called a Cause, is said to generate the other -- which is no more sensible than it would be for one who has never seen a dog except in the pursuit of a rabbit to declare the rabbit the cause of a dog.