Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Mourning?

\Mourn"ing\, n. [AS. murnung.] 1. The act of sorrowing or expressing grief; lamentation; sorrow. 2. Garb, drapery, or emblems indicative of grief, esp. clothing or a badge of somber black. The houses to their tops with black were spread, And ev'n the pavements were with mourning hid. --Dryden. {Deep mourning}. See under {Deep}.
\Mourn"ing\, a. 1. Grieving; sorrowing; lamenting. 2. Employed to express sorrow or grief; worn or used as appropriate to the condition of one bereaved or sorrowing; as, mourning garments; a mourning ring; a mourning pin, and the like. {Mourning bride} (Bot.), a garden flower ({Scabiosa atropurpurea}) with dark purple or crimson flowers in flattened heads. {Mourning dove} (Zo["o]l.), a wild dove ({Zenaidura macroura}) found throughout the United States; -- so named from its plaintive note. Called also {Carolina dove}. See Illust. under {Dove}. {Mourning warbler} (Zo["o]l.), an American ground warbler ({Geothlypis Philadelphia}). The male has the head, neck, and chest, deep ash-gray, mixed with black on the throat and chest; other lower parts are pure yellow.