| behavior | Manner of behaving, whether good or bad; mode of conducting one's self; conduct; deportment; carriage; used also of inanimate objects; as, the behavior of a ship in a storm; the behavior of the magnetic needle. "A gentleman that is very singular in his behavior." (Steele) To be upon one's good behavior, To be put upon one's good behavior, to be in a state of trial, in which something important depends on propriety of conduct. During good behavior, while (or so long as) one conducts one's self with integrity and fidelity or with propriety. Synonym: Bearing, demeanor, manner. Behavior, Conduct. Behavior is the mode in which we have or bear ourselves in the presence of others or toward them; conduct is the mode of our carrying ourselves forward in the concerns of life. Behavior respects our manner of acting in particular cases; conduct refers to the general tenor of our actions. We may say of soldiers, that their conduct had been praiseworthy during the whole campaign, and their behavior admirable in every instance when they met the enemy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| catastrophic illness | An acute or prolonged illness usually considered to be life-threatening or with the threat of serious residual disability. Treatment may be radical and is frequently costly. (12 Dec 1998) |
| catastrophic reaction | The disorganised behaviour that is the response to a severe shock or threatening situation with which the person cannot cope. (05 Mar 2000) |