Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Talent
Tal′ent
(tăl′ent)
, Noun.
1.
Among the ancient Greeks, a weight and a denomination of money equal to 60 minae or 6,000 drachmae. The Attic talent, as a weight, was about 57 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver money, its value was £243 15s. sterling, or about $1,180 (using 1900 values).
Rowing vessel whose burden does not exceed five hundred
talents
. Jowett (Thucid.).
2.
Among the Hebrews, a weight and denomination of money. For silver it was equivalent to 3,000 shekels, and in weight was equal to about 933⁄4 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver, it has been variously estimated at from £340 to £396 sterling, or about $1,645 to $1,916 (ca. 1900). For gold it was equal to 10,000 gold shekels.
3.
Inclination; will; disposition; desire.
[Obs.]
They rather counseled you to your
talent
than to your profit. Chaucer.
4.
Intellectual ability, natural or acquired; mental endowment or capacity; skill in accomplishing; a special gift, particularly in business, art, or the like; faculty; a use of the word probably originating in the Scripture parable of the talents (
Matt. xxv. 14-30
). He is chiefly to be considered in his three different
talents
, as a critic, a satirist, and a writer of odes. Dryden.
His
talents
, his accomplishments, his graceful manners, made him generally popular. Macaulay.
Syn. – Ability; faculty; gift; endowment. See
Genius
. Webster 1828 Edition
Talent
TAL'ENT
,Noun.
1.
Among the ancients, a weight, and a coin. The true value of the talent cannot well be ascertained, but it is known that it was different among different nations. The Attic Talent, the weight, contained 60 Attic minae, or 6000 Attic drachmae, equal to 56 pounds, eleven ounces, English troy weight. The mina being reckoned equal to f3 4s.7d. sterling, or fourteen dollars and a third nearly, the talent was of the value of f193 15s sterling, about $861 dollars. Other computations make it f225 sterling.The Romans had the great talent and the little talent; the great talent is computed to be equal to f99 6s. 8d. sterling, and the little talent to f75 sterling.
2.
Talent, among the Hebrews, was also a gold coin, the same with a shekel of gold; called also stater, and weighing only four drachmas.But the Hebrew talent of silver, called cicar, was equivalent to three thousand shekels, or one hundred and thirteen pounds, ten ounces and a fraction, troy weight.
3.
Faculty; natural gift or endowment; a metaphorical application of the word, said to be borrowed from the Scriptural parable of the talents. Matt.25. He is chiefly to be considered in his three different talents, as a critic, a satirist, and a writer of odes.
'Tis not my talent to conceal my thoughts.
4.
Eminent abilities; superior genius; as, he is a man of talents. [Talent, in the singular, is sometimes used in a like sense.]
5.
Particular faculty; skill. He has a talent at drawing.6.
[Sp. talante, manner of performing any thing, will, disposition.] Quality; disposition.