Morrill Act

[ mawr-il, mor- ]

/ ˈmɔr ɪl, ˈmɒr- /

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noun U.S. History.

an act of Congress (1862) granting each state 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) of land for each member it had in Congress, 90 percent of the gross proceeds of which were to be used for the endowment and maintenance of colleges and universities teaching agricultural and mechanical arts and other subjects.

either of two supplementary acts (1890 and 1907) in which Congress made direct financial grants to assist the land-grant colleges and universities.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.

Question 1 of 7

Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?

their

there

they're

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Morrill Act

Named after Justin Smith Morrill (1810–98), congressman and senator from Vermont

Words nearby Morrill Act

morphotonemics, -morphous, Morphy, Morquio's syndrome, morrell, Morrill Act, Morris, Morris chair, morris dance, Morris Jesup, Morrison

Example sentences from the Web for Morrill Act

A spokesman for Lewisham council said last year that it would be forced to act if the family returned to Britain.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Every once in a while, they act swiftly and acknowledge the problem.
Today’s GOP: Still Cool With Racist Pandering?|Michael Tomasky|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That act forever sealed his feeling for the Chief, bound it up with the war, with violence, with the gun.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Samaritan guidelines are written around the assumption that suicide is a purely irrational act, an act spurred by illness.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But the act of killing herself done, the message was sent, and heard, and things started changing.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He caught himself in the act of listening to you too credulously—and that seemed to him unmanly and dishonorable.
Confidence|Henry James
He was aware that his act by this time, had helped nobody, had made no one happy or satisfied—not even himself.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
He had, however, recovered sufficiently to enable him to act with promptitude and discretion.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
This seems to be contrary to the spirit and intent of the act, which is primarily to centralize reserves in Federal Reserve Banks.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The Act permits member banks to accept an amount of bills not exceeding 50 per cent.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

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