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<-- Begin file 6 of 10: M, N and O (Version 0.4) of
An electronic field-marked version of:
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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M.
M (. 1. M, the thirteenth
letter of the English alphabet, is a vocal consonant, and from
the manner of its formation, is called the labio-nasal
consonant. See Guide to Pronunciation,
The letter M came into English from the Greek, through
the Latin, the form of the Greek letter being further derived
from the Phoenician, and ultimately, it is believed, from the
Egyptian. Etymologically M is related to n, in
lime, linden; emmet,
ant; also to b.
M is readily followed by b and p. the
position of the lips in the formation of both letters being the
same. The relation of b and m is the same
as that of d and t to n. and
that of g and k to ng.
2. As a numeral, M stands for one thousand, both in
English and Latin.
M, n. 1. (Print.) A
quadrat, the face or top of which is a perfect square; also, the
size of such a square in any given size of type, used as the unit
of measurement for that type: 500 m's of pica would be a piece of
matter whose length and breadth in pica m's multiplied together
produce that number. [Written also
em.]
2. (law) A brand or stigma, having the
shape of an M, formerly impressed on one convicted of
manslaughter and admitted to the benefit of clergy.
M roof (Arch.), a kind of roof formed
by the junction of two common roofs with a valley between them,
so that the section resembles the letter M.
Ma (m, n. [Cf.
Mamma.] 1. A child's word for
mother.
2. [Hind.] In Oriental countries, a
respectful form of address given to a woman; mother.
Balfour (Cyc. of India).
\'d8Ma, conj. [It.]
(Mus.) But; -- used in cautionary phrases;
as, \'bdVivace, ma non troppo presto\'b8 (i. e.,
lively, but not too quick).
Moore (Encyc. of Music).
Maa (?), n. [See New a
gull.] (Zo\'94l.) The common European gull
(Larus canus); -- called also mar.
See New, a gull.
Maad (?), obs. p. p. of
Make. Made.
Chaucer.
Maa"lin (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) (a) The sparrow hawk.
(b) The kestrel.
Ma'am (?), n. Madam; my lady;
-- a colloquial contraction of madam often used in
direct address, and sometimes as an appellation.
Ma"a*ra shell` (?). (Zo\'94l.)
A large, pearly, spiral, marine shell (Turbo
margaritaceus), from the Pacific Islands. It is used as an
ornament.
\'d8Ma*ash"a (?), n. An East
Indian coin, of about one tenth of the weight of a rupee.
Maat (?), a. [See
Mate, a.] Dejected; sorrowful;
downcast. [Obs.] \'bdSo piteous and so
maat.\'b8
Chaucer.
Mad (?), n. [Cf. W.
mad a male child, a boy.]
1. A slattern. [Prov. Eng.]
2. The name of a female fairy, esp. the queen of
the fairies; and hence, sometimes, any fairy.
Shak.
Mab"ble (?), v. t. To wrap
up. [Obs.]
Mab"by (?), n. A spirituous
liquor or drink distilled from potatoes; -- used in the
Barbadoes.
\'d8Ma*bo"lo (?), n.
(Bot.) A kind of persimmon tree (Diospyros
discolor) from the Philippine Islands, now introduced into
the East and West Indies. It bears an edible fruit as large as a
quince.
Mac (?). [Gael., son.] A
prefix, in names of Scotch origin, signifying
son.
\'d8Ma*ca"co (?), n. [Cf. Pg.
macaco.] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of
several species of lemurs, as the ruffed lemur (Lemur
macaco), and the ring-tailed lemur (L.
catta).
\'d8Ma*ca"cus (?), n. [NL., a
word of African origin. Cf. Macaco,
Macaque.] (Zo\'94l.) A genus of
monkeys, found in Asia and the East Indies. They have short tails
and prominent eyebrows.<-- now Macaca -->
Mac*ad`am*i*za"tion (?), n. The
process or act of macadamizing.
Mac*ad"am*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Macadamized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Macadamizing.] [From John Loudon
McAdam, who introduced the process into Great Britain
in 1816.] To cover, as a road, or street, with small,
broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard, convex
surface.
Mao*ad"am road` (?). [See
Macadamize.] A macadamized road.
Ma*ca"o (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A macaw.
<-- Macao (cap.), A territory in South China, on the Zhu Jiang
river on the South China sea, formerly a territory of Portugal.
Also, the capitla city of this terrotory. -->
\'d8Ma`caque" (?), n. [F. See
Macacus.] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of
several species of short-tailed monkeys of the genus
Macacus<-- now Macaca -->; as, M.
maurus, the moor macaque of the East
Indies.<-- Macaca mulatta is the Rhesus
monkey, much used in biomedical research, and namesake of the Rh
factor used in blood typing (due to discovery of that factor in
the Rhesus monkey). -->
Mac`a*ran"ga gum` (?). A gum of a crimson
color, obtained from a tree (Macaranga Indica) that
grows in the East Indies. It is used in taking impressions of
coins, medallions, etc., and sometimes as a medicine.
Balfour (Cyc. of India).
Mac"a*rize, v. t. [Gr. To congratulate. [Oxford Univ.
Cant]
Whately.
Mac`a*ro"ni (?), n.; pl.
Macaronis (#), or
Macaronies. [Prov. It. macaroni,
It. maccheroni, fr. Gr. Macaroon.] 1. Long
slender tubes made of a paste chiefly of wheat flour, and used as
an article of food; Italian or Genoese paste.<-- a type of
Italian pasta -->
macaroni.
Balfour (Cyc. of India).
2. A medley; something droll or extravagant.
3. A sort of droll or fool.
[Obs.]
Addison.
4. A finical person; a fop; -- applied especially
to English fops of about 1775.
Goldsmith.
<-- See lyrics of Yankee Doodle -->
5. pl. (U. S. Hist.) The
designation of a body of Maryland soldiers in the Revolutionary
War, distinguished by a rich uniform.
W. Irving.
{ Mac`a*ro"ni*an (?),
Mac`a*ron"ic (?), } a.
[Cf. It. maccheronico, F.
macaronique.] 1. Pertaining to, or
like, macaroni (originally a dish of mixed food); hence, mixed;
confused; jumbled.
2. Of or pertaining to the burlesque composition
called macaronic; as, macaronic poetry.
Mac`a*ron"ic (?), n. 1.
A heap of thing confusedly mixed together; a jumble.
2. A kind of burlesque composition, in which the
vernacular words of one or more modern languages are intermixed
with genuine Latin words, and with hybrid formed by adding Latin
terminations to other roots.
Mac`a*roon" (?), n. [F.
macaron, It. maccherone. See
Macaroni.] 1. A small cake, composed
chiefly of the white of eggs, almonds, and sugar.
2. A finical fellow, or macaroni.
[Obs.]
Ma*cart"ney (?), n. [From Lord
Macartney.] (Zo\'94l.) A
fire-backed pheasant. See Fireback.
Ma*cas`sar oil" (?). A kind of oil
formerly used in dressing the hair; -- so called because
originally obtained from Macassar, a district of the
Island of Celebes. Also, an imitation of the same, of perfumed
castor oil and olive oil.
\'d8Ma*cau"co (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) Any one of several species of small
lemurs, as Lemur murinus, which resembles a rat in
size.
\'d8Ma`ca*va"hu (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A small Brazilian monkey
(Callithrix torquatus), -- called also
collared teetee.
Ma*caw" (?), n. [From the
native name in the Antilles.] (Zo\'94l.)
Any parrot of the genus Sittace, or
Macrocercus. About eighteen species are known, all of
them American. They are large and have a very long tail, a strong
hooked bill, and a naked space around the eyes. The voice is
harsh, and the colors are brilliant and strongly
contrasted.
<-- e.g. Scarlet macaw -->
<-- Insert: Illustration of Blue and Yellow Macaw -->
Macaw bush (Bot.), a West Indian
name for a prickly kind of nightshade (Solanum
mammosum). -- Macaw palm, Macaw
tree (Bot.), a tropical American palm
(Acrocomia fusiformis and other species) having a
prickly stem and pinnately divided leaves. Its nut yields a
yellow butter, with the perfume of violets, which is used in
making violet soap. Called also grugru
palm.
Mac`ca*be"an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Judas Maccabeus or to the Maccabees; as, the
Maccabean princes; Maccabean times.
Mac"ca*bees (?), n. pl. 1.
The name given later times to the Asmon\'91ans, a family of
Jewish patriots, who headed a religious revolt in the reign of
Antiochus IV., 168-161 B. C., which led to a period of
freedom for Israel.
Schaff-Herzog.
2. The name of two ancient historical books, which
give accounts of Jewish affairs in or about the time of the
Maccabean princes, and which are received as canonical books in
the Roman Catholic Church, but are included in the Apocrypha by
Protestants. Also applied to three books, two of which are found
in some MSS. of the Septuagint.
<-- p. 879 -->
{ Mac"ca*boy (?), Mac"co*boy
(?), } n. [From a district in the
Island of Martinique where it is made: cf. F.
macouba.] A kind of snuff.
Mac"co (?), n. A gambling game
in vogue in the eighteenth century.
Thackeray.
Mace (?), n. [Jav. & Malay.
m\'bes, fr. Skr. m\'besha a bean.]
A money of account in China equal to one tenth of a tael;
also, a weight of 57.98 grains.
S. W. Williams.
Mace (?), n. [F.
macis, L. macis, macir, Gr. makaranda the nectar or honey of a flower, a
fragrant mango.] (Bot.) A kind of spice;
the aril which partly covers nutmegs. See Nutmeg.
mace is the aril of Myristica
tingens, and white mace that of M.
Otoba, -- East Indian trees of the same genus with the
nutmeg tree.
Mace, n. [OF. mace, F.
masse, from (assumed) L. matea, of which
the dim. mateola a kind of mallet or beetle, is
found.] 1. A heavy staff or club of metal; a
spiked club; -- used as weapon in war before the general use of
firearms, especially in the Middle Ages, for breaking metal
armor.
Chaucer.
Death with his mace petrific . . . smote.
Milton.
2. Hence: A staff borne by, or carried before, a
magistrate as an ensign of his authority. \'bdSwayed the
royal mace.\'b8
Wordsworth.
3. An officer who carries a mace as an emblem of
authority.
Macaulay.
4. A knobbed mallet used by curriers in dressing
leather to make it supple.
5. (Billiards) A rod for playing
billiards, having one end suited to resting on the table and
pushed with one hand.
Mace bearer, an officer who carries a mace
before person in authority.
Mac`e*do"ni*an (?), a. [L.
Macedonius, Gr. (Geog.)
Belonging, or relating, to Macedonia. --
n. A native or inhabitant of
Macedonia.
Mac`e*do"ni*an, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
One of a certain religious sect, followers of
Macedonius, Bishop of Constantinople, in the fourth
century, who held that the Holy Ghost was a creature, like the
angels, and a servant of the Father and the Son.
Mac`e*do"ni*an*ism (?), n. The
doctrines of Macedonius.
Ma"cer (?), n. [F.
massier. See Mace staff.] A mace
bearer; an officer of a court.
P. Plowman.
Mac"er*ate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Macerated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Macerating.] [L. maceratus,
p. p. of macerare to make soft, weaken, enervate; cf.
Gr. 1. To make lean; to cause
to waste away. [Obs. or R.]
Harvey.
2. To subdue the appetites of by poor and scanty
diet; to mortify.
Baker.
3. To soften by steeping in a liquid, with or
without heat; to wear away or separate the parts of by steeping;
as, to macerate animal or vegetable
fiber.
Mac"er*a`ter (?), n. One who,
or that which, macerates; an apparatus for converting paper or
fibrous matter into pulp.
Mac`er*a"tion (?), n. [L.
maceratio: cf. F. mac\'82ration.]
The act or process of macerating.
{ \'d8Ma*ch\'91"ro*dus (?),
\'d8Ma*chai"ro*dus (?), } n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Paleon.) A genus of extinct mammals allied to
the cats, and having in the upper jaw canine teeth of remarkable
size and strength; -- hence called saber-toothed
tigers.
\'d8Ma*che"te (?), n.
[Sp.] A large heavy knife resembling a
broadsword, often two or three feet in length, -- used by the
inhabitants of Spanish America as a hatchet to cut their way
through thickets, and for various other purposes.
J. Stevens.
Mach`i*a*vel"ian (?), a. [From
Machiavel, an Italian writer, secretary and
historiographer to the republic of Florence.] Of or
pertaining to Machiavel, or to his supposed principles;
politically cunning; characterized by duplicity or bad faith;
crafty.
Mach`i*a*vel"ian, n. One who adopts the
principles of Machiavel; a cunning and unprincipled
politician.
{ Mach"i*a*vel*ism (?),
Mach`i*a*vel"ian*ism (?), } n.
[Cf. F. machiav\'82lisme; It.
machiavellismo.] The supposed principles of
Machiavel, or practice in conformity to them; political artifice,
intended to favor arbitrary power.
Ma*chic"o*la`ted (?), a. [LL.
machicolatus, p. p. of machicolare,
machicollare. See Machicolation.]
Having machicolations. \'bdMachicolated
turrets.\'b8
C. Kingsley.
Mach`i*co*la"tion (?), n. [Cf.
LL. machicolamentum, machacolladura, F.
m\'83chicolis, m\'83checoulis; perh. fr. F.
m\'8ache match, combustible matter + OF.
coulis, couleis, flowing, fr. OF. & F.
couler to flow. Cf. Match for making fire,
and Cullis.]
1. (Mil. Arh.) An opening between the
corbels which support a projecting parapet, or in the floor of a
gallery or the roof of a portal, shooting or dropping missiles
upen assailants attacking the base of the walls. Also, the
construction of such defenses, in general, when of this
character. See Illusts. of Battlement and
Castle.
2. The act of discharging missiles or pouring
burning or melted substances upon assailants through such
apertures.
\'d8Ma`chi`cou`lis" (?), n. [F.
m\'83chicoulis.] (Mil. Arch.)
Same as Machicolation.
Ma*chin"al (?), a. [L.
machinalis: cf. F. machinal.] Of
or pertaining to machines.
Mach"i*nate (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Machinated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Machinating
(?).] [L. machinatus, p. p.
of machinari to devise, plot. See
Machine.] To plan; to contrive; esp., to form
a scheme with the purpose of doing harm; to contrive artfully; to
plot. \'bdHow long will you machinate!\'b8
Sandys.
Mach"i*nate (?), v. t. To
contrive, as a plot; to plot; as, to machinate
evil.
Mach`i*na"tion (?), n. [L.
machinatio: cf. F. machination.]
1. The act of machinating.
Shak.
2. That which is devised; a device; a hostile or
treacherous scheme; an artful design or plot.
Devilish machinations come to naught.
Milton.
His ingenious machinations had failed.
Macaulay.
Mach"i*na`tor (?), n.
[L.] One who machinates, or forms a scheme with
evil designs; a plotter or artful schemer.
Glanvill. Sir W. Scott.
Ma*chine" (?), n. [F., fr. L.
machina machine, engine, device, trick, Gr. Mechanic.] 1.
In general, any combination of bodies so connected that
their relative motions are constrained, and by means of which
force and motion may be transmitted and modified, as a screw and
its nut, or a lever arranged to turn about a fulcrum or a pulley
about its pivot, etc.; especially, a construction, more or less
complex, consisting of a combination of moving parts, or simple
mechanical elements, as wheels, levers, cams, etc., with their
supports and connecting framework, calculated to constitute a
prime mover, or to receive force and motion from a prime mover or
from another machine, and transmit, modify, and apply them to the
production of some desired mechanical effect or work, as weaving
by a loom, or the excitation of electricity by an electrical
machine.
machine is most commonly applied
to such pieces of mechanism as are used in the industrial arts,
for mechanically shaping, dressing, and combining materials for
various purposes, as in the manufacture of cloth, etc. Where the
effect is chemical, or other than mechanical, the contrivance is
usually denominated an apparatus, not a machine; as, a
bleaching apparatus. Many large, powerful, or
specially important pieces of mechanism are called
engines; as, a steam engine, fire
engine, graduating engine, etc. Although there
is no well-settled distinction between the terms
engine and machine among practical men, there is a
tendency to restrict the application of the former to
contrivances in which the operating part is not distinct from the
motor.
2. Any mechanical contrivance, as the wooden horse
with which the Greeks entered Troy; a coach; a bicycle.
Dryden. Southey. Thackeray.
3. A person who acts mechanically or at will of
another.
4. A combination of persons acting together for a
common purpose, with the agencies which they use; as, the
social machine.
The whole machine of government ought not to bear
upon the people with a weight so heavy and oppressive.
Landor.
5. A political organization arranged and controlled
by one or more leaders for selfish, private or partisan
ends. [Political Cant]
6. Supernatural agency in a poem, or a superhuman
being introduced to perform some exploit.
Addison.
Elementary machine, a name sometimes given to
one of the simple mechanical powers. See under
Mechanical. -- Infernal machine. See
under Infernal. -- Machine gun.See
under Gun. -- Machine screw, a screw
or bolt adapted for screwing into metal, in distinction from one
which is designed especially to be screwed into wood. --
Machine shop, a workshop where machines are made,
or where metal is shaped by cutting, filing, turning, etc.
-- Machine tool, a machine for cutting or shaping
wood, metal, etc., by means of a tool; especially, a machine, as
a lathe, planer, drilling machine, etc., designed for a more or
less general use in a machine shop, in distinction from a machine
for producing a special article as in manufacturing. --
Machine twist, silken thread especially adapted
for use in a sewing machine. -- Machine work,
work done by a machine, in contradistinction to that done by
hand labor.
Ma*chine", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Machined (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Machining.] To subject to the
action of machinery; to effect by aid of machinery; to print with
a printing machine.
Ma*chin"er (?), n. One who or
operates a machine; a machinist. [R.]
Ma*chin"er*y (?), n. [From
Machine: cf. F. machinerie.]
1. Machines, in general, or collectively.
2. The working parts of a machine, engine, or
instrument; as, the machinery of a watch.
3. The supernatural means by which the action of a
poetic or fictitious work is carried on and brought to a
catastrophe; in an extended sense, the contrivances by which the
crises and conclusion of a fictitious narrative, in prose or
verse, are effected.
The machinery, madam, is a term invented by the
critics, to signify that part which the deities, angels, or
demons, are made to act in a poem.
Pope.
4. The means and appliances by which anything is
kept in action or a desired result is obtained; a complex system
of parts adapted to a purpose.
An indispensable part of the machinery of
state.
Macaulay.
The delicate inflexional machinery of the Aryan
languages.
I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
Ma*chin"ing, a. Of or pertaining to the
machinery of a poem; acting or used as a
machine.[Obs.]
Dryden.
Ma*chin"ist, n. [Cf. F.
machiniste.] 1. A constrictor of
machines and engines; one versed in the principles of
machines.
2. One skilled in the use of machine tools.
3. A person employed to shift scenery in a
theater.
Ma"cho (?), n. [Sp.]
(Zo\'94l.) The striped mullet of California
(Mugil cephalus, ).
Mac"i*len*cy (?), n. [See
Macilent.] Leanness.[Obs.]
Sandys.
Mac"i*lent (?), a. [L.
macilentus, fr. macies leanness,
macere to be lean.] Lean; thin.
[Obs.]
Bailey.
Mac"in*tosh (?), n. Same as
Mackintosh.
Mack"er*el (?), n. [OF.
maquerel, F. maquereau, fr. D.
makelaar mediator, agent, fr. makelen to
act as agent.] A pimp; also, a bawd.
[Obs.]
Halliwell.
Mack`er*el (?), n. [OF.
maquerel, F. maquereau (LL.
macarellus), prob. for maclereau, fr. L.
macula a spot, in allusion to the markings on the
fish. See Mail armor.] (Zo\'94l.)
Any species of the genus Scomber, and of several
related genera. They are finely formed and very active oceanic
fishes. Most of them are highly prized for food.
Scomber scombrus),
which inhabits both sides of the North Atlantic, is one of the
most important food fishes. It is mottled with green and blue.
The Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus), of the
American coast, is covered with bright yellow circular
spots.
Bull mackerel, Chub
mackerel. (Zo\'94l.) See under
Chub. -- Frigate mackerel. See under
Frigate. -- Horse mackerel . See
under Horse. -- Mackerel bird
(Zo\'94l.), the wryneck; -- so called because it
arrives in England at the time when mackerel are in season.
-- Mackerel cock (Zo\'94l.), the Manx
shearwater; -- so called because it precedes the appearance of
the mackerel on the east coast of Ireland. -- Mackerel
guide. (Zo\'94l.) See Garfish
(a). -- Mackerel gull
(Zo\'94l.) any one of several species of gull
which feed upon or follow mackerel, as the kittiwake. --
Mackerel midge (Zo\'94l.), a very small
oceanic gadoid fish of the North Atlantic. It is about an inch
and a half long and has four barbels on the upper jaw. It is now
considered the young of the genus Onos, or
Motella. -- Mackerel plow, an
instrument for creasing the sides of lean mackerel to improve
their appearance. Knight. -- Mackerel
shark (Zo\'94l.), the porbeagle. --
Mackerel sky, Mackerel-back
sky, a sky flecked with small white clouds; a
cirro-cumulus. See Cloud.
Mackerel sky and mare's-tails
Make tall ships carry low sails.
Old Rhyme.
{ Mack"i*naw blan"ket (?),
Mack"i*naw. }[From Mackinac,the
State of Michigan, where blankets and other stores were
distributed to the Indians.] A thick blanket formerly
in common use in the western part of the United States.
Mack"in*tosh (?), n. A
waterproof outer garment; -- so called from the name of the
inventor.
Mac`kle (?), n. [See
Macle.] Same Macule.
Mac"kle, v. t. & i. To blur, or be
blurred, in printing, as if there were a double impression.
Ma"cle (?), n. [L.
macula a spot: cf. F. macle. Cf.
Mackle, Mascle.] (Min.)
(a) Chiastolite; -- so called from the tessellated
appearance of a cross section. See Chiastolite.
(b) A crystal having a similar tessellated
appearance. (c) A twin crystal.
Ma"cled (?), a. 1.
(Min.) (a) Marked like macle
(chiastolite). (b) Having a twin structure.
See Twin, a.
2. See Mascled.
\'d8Ma*clu"re*a (?), n. [NL.
Named from William Maclure, the geologist.]
(Paleon.) A genus of spiral gastropod shells,
often of large size, characteristic of the lower Silurian
rocks.
Ma*clu"rin (?), n.
(Chem.) See Morintannic.
<-- macrame, n. the art of tying knots in patterns. -->
Mac"ra*me lace" (?). A coarse lace made of
twine, used especially in decorating furniture.
{ Mac`ren*ce*phal"ic (?),
Mac`ren*ceph"a*lous (?), } a.
[Macro + encephalic,
encephalous.] Having a large brain.
<-- macro (computer programming) [short for macroinstruction] (a)
a single instruction in a program which symbolizes, and is
replaced by during time of program execution, a series of
instructions. (b) a keystroke (or combination of keystrokes)
which symbolizes and is replaced by a series of keystrokes. -- a
convenient feature of some advanced programs, such as word
processors or database programs, which allows a user to rapidly
execute any series of operations which may be performed multiple
times. Such macros may typically be defined by the program user,
without rewriting or recompiling the program. -->
Mac"ro- (?). [Gr. makro`s,
adj.] A combining form signifying long,
large, great; as macrodiagonal,
macrospore.<-- macromolecule, macrocosm -->
Mac`ro*bi*ot"ic (?), a. [Gr.
macrobiotique.] Long-lived.
Dunglison.
Mac`ro*bi*ot"ics (?), n.
(Physiol.) The art of prolonging life.
Mac`ro*ceph"a*lous (?), a.
[Macro + Gr. kefalh` the head.]
1. Having a large head.
2. (Bot.) Having the cotyledons of a
dicotyledonous embryo confluent, and forming a large mass
compared with the rest of the body.
Henslow.
Mac`ro-chem"is*try (?), n.
[Macro- + chemistry.]
(Chem.) The science which treats of the chemical
properties, actions or relations of substances in quantity; --
distinguished from micro-chemistry.
\'d8Mac`ro*chi"res (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A division of birds including the
swifts and humming birds. So called from the length of the distal
part of the wing.
Mac"ro*cosm (?), n.
[Macro- + Gr. macrocosme.] The great world; that part of
the universe which is exterior to man; -- contrasted with
microcosm, or man. See Microcosm.
Mac`ro*cos"mic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the macrocosm.
Tylor.
\'d8Mac`ro*cys"tis (?), n. [NL.
See Macro-, and Cyst.] (Bot.)
An immensely long blackish seaweed of the Pacific
(Macrocystis pyrifera), having numerous almond-shaped
air vessels.
<-- p. 880 -->
Mac`ro*dac"tyl (?), n. [Gr. macrodactyle.] (Zo\'94l.) One of
a group of wading birds (Macrodactyli) having very
long toes. [Written also
macrodactyle.]
{ Mac`ro*dac*tyl"ic (?),
Mac`ro*dac"tyl*ous (?), } a.
(Zo\'94l.) Having long toes.
Mac`ro*di*ag"o*nal (?), n.
[Macro- + diagonal.]
(Crystallog.) The longer of two diagonals, as of
a rhombic prism. See Crystallization.
Mac"ro*dome (?), n.
[Macro- + dome.]
(Crystallog.) A dome parallel to the longer
lateral axis of an orthorhombic crystal. See Dome,
n., 4.
Mac"ro*dont, a. [Macro- + Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) Having large
teeth. -- n. A macrodont
animal.
Mac"ro*far`ad (?), n.
[Macro- + farad.]
(Elec.) See Megafarad.
[R.]
\'d8Mac`ro*glos"si*a (?), n.
[NL. See Macro-, and Glossa.]
(Med.) Enlargement or hypertrophy of the
tongue.
Mac`rog*nath"ic (?), a.
[Macro- + gnathic.]
(Anthropol.) Long-jawed.
Huxley.
Ma*crol"o*gy (?), n. [L.
macrologia, Gr. macrologie.] Long and tedious talk without
much substance; superfluity of words.
Ma*crom"e*ter (?), n.
[Macro- + -meter.] An
instrument for determining the size or distance of inaccessible
objects by means of two reflectors on a common sextant.
Ma"cron (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
(Pron.) A short, straight,
horizontal mark [-], placed over vowels to denote that they are
to be pronounced with a long sound; as, \'be, in
d\'beme; , in s,
etc.
Mac`ro*pet"al*ous (?), a.
[Macro- + petal.]
(Bot.) Having long or large petals.
Ma*croph"yl*lous (?), a.
[Macro- + Gr.
(Bot.) Having long or large leaves.
Mac`ro*pin"a*coid (?), n.
[Macro- + pinacoid.]
(Crystallog.) One of the two planes of an
orthorhombic crystal which are parallel to the vertical and
longer lateral (macrodiagonal) axes.
Mac"ro*pod (?), n.
[Macro- + -pod.]
(Zo\'94l.) Any one of a group of maioid crabs
remarkable for the length of their legs; -- called also
spider crab.
Ma*crop"o*dal (?), a. Having
long or large feet, or a long stem.
Mac`ro*po"di*an (?), n. A
macropod.
Ma*crop"o*dous (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Having long legs or feet.
Mac"ro*prism (?), n.
[Macro- + prism.]
(Crystallog.) A prism of an orthorhombic crystal
between the macropinacoid and the unit prism; the corresponding
pyramids are called macropyramids.
\'d8Ma*crop"te*res (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A division of birds; the
Longipennes.
Ma*crop"ter*ous (?), a. [See
Macropteres.] (Zo\'94l.) Having
long wings.
\'d8Mac"ro*pus (?), n. [NL. See
Macropod.] (Zo\'94l.) genus of
marsupials including the common kangaroo.
Mac`ro*pyr"a*mid (?), n.
[Macro- + pyramid.]
(Crystallog.) See Macroprism.
{ Mac`ro*scop"ic (?),
Mac`ro*scop"ic*al (?), } a.
[Macro- + Gr. Visible to
the unassisted eye; -- as opposed to
microscopic. --
Mac`ro*scop"ic*al*ly,
adv.
\'d8Mac`ro*spo*ran"gi*um (?), n.
[NL. See Macro-, and Sporangium.]
(Bot.) A sporangium or conceptacle containing
only large spores; -- opposed to microsporangium. Both
are found in the genera Selaginella,
Isoctes, and Marsilia, plants remotely
allied to ferns.
Mac"ro*spore (?), n.
[Macro- + spore.]
(Bot.) One of the specially large spores of
certain flowerless plants, as Selaginella, etc.
Mac`ro*spor"ic (?), a.
(Bot.) Of or pertaining to macrospores.
Mac"ro*tone (?), n. [Gr. Macro-, and Tone.]
(Pron.) Same as Macron.
Ma*cro"tous (?), a.
[Macro- + Gr. o"y^s, gen.
'wto`s, the ear.] (Zo\'94l.)
Large-eared.
\'d8Ma*crou"ra (?), n. pl.,
Ma*crou"ral (, a., etc.
(Zo\'94l.) Same as Macrura,
Macrural, etc.
Mac`ro*zo"\'94*spore (?), n.
[Macro- + zo\'94spore.]
(Bot.) A large motile spore having four vibratile
cilia; -- found in certain green alg\'91.
\'d8Ma*cru"ra (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Zo\'94l.) A
subdivision of decapod Crustacea, having the abdomen largely
developed. It includes the lobster, prawn, shrimp, and many
similar forms. Cf. Decapoda.
Ma*cru"ral (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Same as Macrurous.
Ma*cru"ran (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) One of the Macrura.
Ma*cru"roid (?), a.
[Macrura + -oid.]
(Zo\'94l.) Like or pertaining to the
Macrura.
Ma*cru"rous (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the Macrura;
having a long tail.
Mac*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
mactatio, fr. macture to slay,
sacrifice.] The act of killing a victim for
sacrifice. [Obs.]
\'d8Mac"tra (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) Any marine bivalve shell of the genus
Mactra, and allied genera. Many species are known.
Some of them are used as food, as Mactra stultorum, of
Europe. See Surf clam, under Surf.
\'d8Mac"u*la (?), n.; pl.
Macul\'91 (#). [L., spot, stain,
blot. See Mail armor, and cf. Mackle,
Macule.] 1. A spot, as on the skin,
or on the surface of the sun or of some other luminous orb.
2. (Zo\'94l.) A rather large spot or
blotch of color.
Mac"u*late (?), v. t. [L.
maculatus, p. p. of maculare to spot. See
Macula, and cf. Macule, v.]
To spot; to stain; to blur.
Maculate the honor of their people.
Sir T. Elyot.
Mac"u*late (?), a. [L.
maculatus, p. p.] Marked with spots or
macul\'91; blotched; hence, defiled; impure; as, most
maculate thoughts.
Shak.
Mac"u*la`ted (?), a. Having
spots or blotches; maculate.
Mac"u*la"tion (?), n. [L.
maculatio.] The act of spotting; a spot; a
blemish.
Shak.
Mac"u*la*to*ry (?), a. Causing
a spot or stain.
T. Adams.
Mac"u*la*ture (?), n, Blotting
paper. [Obs.]
Mac"ule (?), n. [F.
macule. See Macula.] 1. A
spot. [Obs.]
2. (Print.) A blur, or an appearance of
a double impression, as when the paper slips a little; a
mackle.
Mac"ule, v. t. [Cf. F.
maculer. See Maculate,v.]
To blur; especially (Print.), to blur or double
an impression from type. See Mackle.
Mac"u*lose` (?), a. [L.
maculosus.] Of or pertaining to spots upon
a surface; spotted; maculate.
Mad (?), obs. p. p. of
Made.
Chaucer.
Mad (?), a.
[Compar. Madder (?);
superl. Maddest (?).]
[AS. gem, gem\'bed, mad; akin to
OS. gem foolish, OHG. gameit, Icel.
mei to hurt, Goth. gam\'a0ids weak,
broken. 1. Disordered in intellect;
crazy; insane.
I have heard my grandsire say full oft,
Extremity of griefs would make men mad.
Shak.
2. Excited beyond self-control or the restraint of
reason; inflamed by violent or uncontrollable desire, passion, or
appetite; as, to be mad with terror, lust, or
hatred; mad against political reform.
It is the land of graven images, and they are mad
upon their idols.
Jer. 1. 88.
And being exceedingly mad against them, I
persecuted them even unto strange cities.
Acts xxvi. 11.
3. Proceeding from, or indicating, madness;
expressing distraction; prompted by infatuation, fury, or extreme
rashness. \'bdMad demeanor.\'b8
Milton.
Mad wars destroy in one year the works of many
years of peace.
Franklin.
The mad promise of Cleon was fulfilled.
Jowett (Thucyd.).
4. Extravagant; immoderate. \'bdBe
mad and merry.\'b8 Shak. \'bdFetching
mad bounds.\'b8 Shak.
5. Furious with rage, terror, or disease; -- said
of the lower animals; as, a mad bull; esp.,
having hydrophobia; rabid; as, a mad dog.
6. Angry; out of patience; vexed; as, to get
mad at a person. [Colloq.]
7. Having impaired polarity; -- applied to a
compass needle. [Colloq.]
Like mad, like a mad person; in a furious
manner; as, to run like mad.
L'Estrange. -- To run mad.
(a) To become wild with excitement.
(b) To run wildly about under the influence of
hydrophobia; to become affected with hydrophobia. -- To
run mad after, to pursue under the influence of
infatuation or immoderate desire. \'bdThe world is running
mad after farce.\'b8 Dryden.
Mad, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Madded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Madding.] To make mad or furious; to
madden.
Had I but seen thy picture in this plight,
It would have madded me.
Shak.
Mad, v. i. To be mad; to go mad; to
rave. See Madding. [Archaic]
Chaucer.
Festus said with great voice, Paul thou
maddest.
Wyclif (Acts).
Mad, n. [AS. ma; akin to
D. & G. made, Goth. mapa, and prob. to E.
moth.] (Zo\'94l.) An
earthworm. [Written also made.]
Mad"am (?), n.; pl.
Madams, or Mesdames (#).
[See Madame.] A gentlewoman; -- an
appellation or courteous form of address given to a lady,
especially an elderly or a married lady; -- much used in the
address, at the beginning of a letter, to a woman. The
corresponding word in addressing a man is Sir.
\'d8Ma`dame" (?), n.; pl.
Mesdames (#). [F., fr.
ma my (L. mea) + dame dame. See
Dame, and cf. Madonna.] My lady; --
a French title formerly given to ladies of quality; now, in
France, given to all married women.
Chaucer.
Mad"-ap`ple (?), n.
(Bot.) See Eggplant.
Mad"brain` (?), a. Hot-headed;
rash. Shak. -- n. A rash or
hot-headed person.
Mad"brained` (?), a. Disordered
in mind; hot-headed.
Shak.
Mad"cap` (?), a. 1.
Inclined to wild sports; delighting in rash, absurd, or
dangerous amusements. \'bdThe merry madcap
lord.\'b8
Shak.
2. Wild; reckless. \'bdMadcap
follies\'b8
Beau. & Fl.
Mad"cap`, n. A person of wild behavior;
an excitable, rash, violent person.
Shak.
Mad"den (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Maddened
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Maddening.] To make mad; to drive to
madness; to craze; to excite violently with passion; to make very
angry; to enrage.
Mad"den, v. i. To become mad; to act as
if mad.
They rave, recite, and madden round the land.
Pope.
Mad"der (?), n. [OE.
mader, AS. m\'91dere; akin to Icel.
ma.] (Bot.) A plant of the
Rubia (R. tinctorum). The root is much used
in dyeing red, and formerly was used in medicine. It is
cultivated in France and Holland. See Rubiaceous.
madder yellow.
Field madder, an annual European weed
(Sherardia arvensis) resembling madder. --
Indian madder , the East Indian Rubia
cordifolia, used in the East for dyeing; -- called also
munjeet. -- Wild madder,
Rubia peregrina of Europe; also the Galium
Mollugo, a kind of bedstraw.
Mad"der*wort` (?), n.
(Bot.) A name proposed for any plant of the same
natural order (Rubiace\'91) as the madder.
Mad"ding (?), a. Affected with
madness; raging; furious. --
Mad"ding*ly, adv.
[Archaic]
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife.
Gray.
The madding wheels
Of brazen chariots raged.
Milton.
Mad"dish (?), a. Somewhat
mad.
Beau. & Fl.
Made (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
See Mad, n.
Made (?), imp. & p. p. of
Make.
Made, a. Artificially produced; pieced
together; formed by filling in; as, made ground; a
made mast, in distinction from one consisting of a
single spar.
Made up. (a) Complete; perfect.
\'bdA made up villain.\'b8 Shak. (b)
Falsely devised; fabricated; as, a made up
story. (c) Artificial; as, a made
up figure or complexion.
{ Mad"e*cass (?), Mad`e*cas"see
(?), } n. A native or inhabitant
of Madagascar, or Madecassee; the language of the natives of
Madagascar. See Malagasy.
Mad`e*cas"see, a. Of or pertaining to
Madagascar or its inhabitants.
{ Mad`e*fac"tion (?),
Mad`e*fi*ca"tion (?), } n.
[L. madefacere to make wet; madere to
be wet + facere to make: cf. F.
mad\'82faction.] The act of madefying, or
making wet; the state of that which is made wet.
[R.]
Bacon.
Mad"e*fy (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Madefied
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Madefying
(?).] [Cf. F. mad\'82fier,
L. madefacere. See Madefaction.]
To make wet or moist. [R.]
Mad`e*gas"sy (?), n. & a. See
Madecassee.
Ma*dei"ra (?), n. [Pg., the
Island Madeira, properly, wood, fr. L. materia stuff,
wood. The island was so called because well wooded. See
Matter.] A rich wine made on the Island of
Madeira.
A cup of Madeira, and a cold capon's leg.
Shak.
Madeira nut (Bot.), the European
walnut; the nut of the Juglans regia.
\'d8Ma`de*moi`selle" (?), n.;
pl. Mesdemoiselles (#). [F.,
fr. ma my, f. of mon +
demoiselle young lady. See Damsel.]
1. A French title of courtesy given to a girl or an
unmarried lady, equivalent to the English Miss.
Goldsmith.
2. (Zo\'94l.) A marine food fish
(Sci\'91na chrysura), of the Southern United States;
-- called also yellowtail, and silver
perch.
Madge, n. [Cf. OF. & Prov. F.
machette.] (Zo\'94l.) (a)
The barn owl. (b) The magpie.
Mad"-head`ed (?), a. Wild;
crack-brained.
Mad"house` (?), n. A house
where insane persons are confined; an insane asylum; a
bedlam.
\'d8Ma"di*a (?), n. [NL., fr.
Sp. madi, fr. Chilian madi, the native
name.] (Bot.) A genus of composite plants,
of which one species (Madia sativa) is cultivated for
the oil yielded from its seeds by pressure. This oil is sometimes
used instead of olive oil for the table.
Mad"id (?), a. [L.
madidus, fr. madere to be wet.]
Wet; moist; as, a madid eye.
[R.] Beaconsfield.
\'d8Mad`is*te"ri*um (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr. (Surg.) An
instrument to extract hairs.
\'d8Mad"joun (?), n. [Hind.,
fr. Ar. ma'j.] An intoxicating
confection from the hemp plant; -- used by the Turks and
Hindoos. [Written also majoun.]
Mad"ly (?), adv. [From
Mad, a.] In a mad manner; without
reason or understanding; wildly.
<-- intensely: "madly in love" -->
Mad"man (?), n.; pl.
Madmen (. A man who is mad;
lunatic; a crazy person.
When a man mistakes his thoughts for person and things, he is
mad. A madman is properly so defined.
Coleridge.
Mad"nep (?), n. (Bot.)
The masterwort (Peucedanum Ostruthium).
Mad"ness, n. [From Mad,
a.] 1. The condition of being mad;
insanity; lunacy.
2. Frenzy; ungovernable rage; extreme folly.
Syn. -- Insanity; distraction; derangement; craziness;
lunacy; mania; frenzy; franticness; rage; aberration; alienation;
monomania. See Insanity.
Ma*don"na (?), n. [It.
madonna my lady. See Dame, Donna,
and cf. Madame, Monkey.] 1.
My lady; -- a term of address in Italian formerly used as
the equivalent of Madame, but for which
Signora is now substituted. Sometimes introduced into
English.
Shak.
2. [pl. Madonnas
(n.] A picture of the
Virgin Mary (usually with the babe).
The Italian painters are noted for drawing the
Madonnas by their own wives or mistresses.
Rymer.
\'d8Ma"do*qua (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A small Abyssinian antelope
(Neotragus Saltiana), about the size of a hare.
\'d8Ma`drague" (?), n.
[R.] A large fish pound used for the capture of
the tunny in the Mediterranean; also applied to the seines used
for the same purpose.
Ma"dre*perl (?), n. [It.
madreperla.] Mother-of-pearl.
<-- p. 881 -->
\'d8Mad`re*po"ra (?), n. [NL.
See Madre.] (Zo\'94l.) A
genus of reef corals abundant in tropical seas. It includes than
one hundred and fifty species, most of which are elegantly
branched. -- Mad`re*po"ral
(#), a.
\'d8Mad`re*po*ra"ri*a (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Madrepore.] (Zo\'94l.)
An extensive division of Anthozoa, including most of the
species that produce stony corals. See Illust. of
Anthozoa. --
Mad`re*po*ra"ri*an (#), a. &
n.
Mad"re*pore (?), n. [F.
madrepore, perh. fr. madr\'82 spotted, fr.
OF. madre, mazre, a kind of knotty wood
with brown spots, fr. OHG. masar a knot, grain, or
vein in wood, a speck, G. maser + pore (see
Pore); or perh. F. madr\'82pore is rather
from It. madrepora, and this perh. fr. It.
madre mother (see Mother) + Gr. (Zo\'94l.) Any coral of the genus
Madrepora; formerly, often applied to any stony coral.
{ Mad`re*po"ri*an (?),
Mad`re*po"ric (?), } a.
(Zo\'94l.) Resembling, or pertaining to, the
genus Madrepora.
Madreporic plate (Zo\'94l.), a
perforated plate in echinoderms, through which water is admitted
to the ambulacral tubes; -- called also madreporic
tubercule.
Mad`re*po"ri*form (?), a.
[Madrepore + -form.]
(Zo\'94l.) Resembling a madreporian coral in form
or structure.
Mad"re*po*rite (?), n. [Cf. F.
madr\'82porite] 1. (Paleon.)
A fossil coral.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The madreporic plate of
echinoderms.
Ma*drier" (?), n. [F., from Sp.
madero, or Pg. madeiro, fr. Sp.
madera wood for building, timber, Pg.
madeira, L. materia stuff, materials,
lumber. See Matter.] A thick plank, used for
several mechanical purposes; especially: (a)
A plank to receive the mouth of a petard, with which it is
applied to anything intended to be broken down.
(b) A plank or beam used for supporting the earth
in mines or fortifications.
Mad"ri*gal (?), n. [It.
madrigale, OIt. madriale,
mandriale (cf. LL. matriale); of uncertain
origin, possibly fr. It mandra flock, L.
mandra stall, herd of cattle, Gr. madrigal, originally, a pastoral song.]
1. A little amorous poem, sometimes called a
pastoral poem, containing some tender and
delicate, though simple, thought.
Whose artful strains have oft delayed
The huddling brook to hear his madrigal.
Milton.
2. (Mus.) An unaccompanied polyphonic
song, in four, five, or more parts, set to secular words, but
full of counterpoint and imitation, and adhering to the old
church modes. Unlike the freer glee, it is best sung with several
voices on a part. See Glee.
Mad"ri*gal*er (?), n. A
madrigalist.
Mad"ri*gal*ist, n. A composer of
madrigals.
Mad`ri*le"ni*an (?), a. [Sp.
Madrileno.] Of or pertaining to Madrid in
Spain, or to its inhabitants. -- n. A
native or inhabitant of Madrid.
\'d8Ma*dri"na (?), n. [Sp.,
prop., a godmother.] An animal (usually an old mare),
wearing a bell and acting as the leader of a troop of pack
mules. [S. America]
Ma*dro"\'a4a (?), n. [Sp.
madro\'a4o.] (Bot.) A small
evergreen tree or shrub (Arbutus Menziesii), of
California, having a smooth bark, thick shining leaves, and
edible red berries, which are often called madro\'a4a
apples. [Written also
madro\'a4o.]
Mad"wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
A genus of cruciferous plants (Alyssum) with
white or yellow flowers and rounded pods. A. maritimum
is the commonly cultivated sweet alyssum, a fragrant
white-flowered annual.
{ M\'91g"bote`, Mag"bote` }
(?), n. [AS. m\'d6g kinsman +
b\'d3t compensation.] (Anglo-Saxon
Law) Compensation for the injury done by slaying a
kinsman.
Spelman.
Mael"strom (?), n. [Norw., a
whirlpool.] 1. A celebrated whirlpool on the
coast of Norway.
2. Also Fig. ; as, a maelstrom of
vice.
\'d8M\'91"nad (?), n. [L.
Maenas, -adis, Gr. 1. A Bacchante; a priestess or votary
of Bacchus.
2. A frantic or frenzied woman.
\'d8Ma`es*to"so (?), a. & adv.
[It.] (Mus.) Majestic or majestically;
-- a direction to perform a passage or piece of music in a
dignified manner.
Maes"tricht mon"i*tor (?). [So called from
Maestricht, a town in Holland.]
(Paleon.) The Mosasaurus Hofmanni. See
Mosasaurus.
\'d8Ma*es"tro (?), n. [It., fr.
L. magister. See Master.] A master
in any art, especially in music; a composer.
Maf"fle (?), v. i. [Akin to OD.
maffelen to stammer. Cf. Muffle to
mumble.] To stammer. [Obs.]
Maf"fler (?), n. A
stammerer. [Obs.]
Mag`a*zine" (?), n. [F.
magasin, It. magazzino, or Sp.
magacen, almagacen; all fr. Ar.
makhzan, almakhzan, a storehouse, granary,
or cellar.]
1. A receptacle in which anything is stored,
especially military stores, as ammunition, arms, provisions,
etc. \'bdArmories and magazines.\'b8
Milton.
2. The building or room in which the supply of
powder is kept in a fortification or a ship.
3. A chamber in a gun for holding a number of
cartridges to be fed automatically to the piece.
4. A pamphlet published periodically containing
miscellaneous papers or compositions.
Magazine dress, clothing made chiefly of
woolen, without anything metallic about it, to be worn in a
powder magazine. -- Magazine gun, a portable
firearm, as a rifle, with a chamber carrying cartridges which are
brought automatically into position for firing. --
Magazine stove, a stove having a chamber for
holding fuel which is supplied to the fire by some self-feeding
process, as in the common base-burner.
Mag`a*zine" (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Magazined
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Magazining.] To store in, or as in, a
magazine; to store up for use.
Mag`a*zin"er (?), n. One who
edits or writes for a magazine. [R.]
Goldsmith.
Mag`a*zin"ing, n. The act of editing, or
writing for, a magazine. [Colloq.]
Byron.
Mag`a*zin"ist, n. One who edits or
writes for a magazine. [R.]
Mag"bote` (?), n. See
M\'91gbote.
Mag"da*la (?), a. Designating
an orange-red dyestuff obtained from naphthylamine, and called
magdala red, naphthalene red, etc.
Mag"da*len (?), n. [From Mary
Magdalene, traditionally reported to have been the
repentant sinner forgiven by Christ. See Luke vii.
36.] A reformed prostitute.
Mag*da"le*on (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr.
(Med.) A medicine in the form of a roll, a esp. a
roll of plaster.
Mag"de*burg (?), n. A city of
Saxony.
Magdeburg centuries, Magdeburg
hemispheres. See under Century, and
Hemisphere.
Mage (?), n. [F.
mage. See Magi.] A magician.
[Archaic]
Spenser. Tennyson.
Mag`el*lan"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to, or named from, Magellan, the
navigator.
Magellenic clouds (Astron.), three
conspicuous nebul\'91 near the south pole, resembling thin white
clouds.<-- they are smaller than the Milky Way galaxy,
but separate from it, and thus are considered the galactic
formations nearest to our galaxy, but not part of it. -->
Ma*gen"ta (?), n. (Chem.)
An aniline dye obtained as an amorphous substance having a
green bronze surface color, which dissolves to a shade of red;
also, the color; -- so called from Magenta, in Italy,
in allusion to the battle fought there about the time the dye was
discovered. Called also fuchsine,
rose\'8bne, etc.<-- now fuschin -->
<-- 2. n. the purpish-red color of magenta -->
Magged (?), a. (Naut.)
Worn; fretted; as, a magged brace.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
\'d8Mag`gio"re (?), a. [It.,
from L. major, compar. of magnus great. See
Major.] (Mus.) Greater, in respect
to scales, intervals, etc., when used in opposition to
minor; major.
Moore (Encyc. of Music).
Mag"got (?), n. [W.
macai, pl. maceiod, magiod, a
worn or grub; cf. magu to bread.] 1.
(Zo\'94l.) The footless larva of any fly. See
Larval.
2. A whim; an odd fancy.
Hudibras. Tennyson.
Mag"got*i*ness (?), n. State of
being maggoty.
Mag"got*ish, a. Full of whims or
fancies; maggoty.
Mag"got-pie` (?), n. A
magpie. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mag"got*y (?), a. 1.
Infested with maggots.
2. Full of whims; capricious.
Norris.
Ma"ghet (?), n. [Cf. Fl.
maghet maid.] (Bot.) A name for
daisies and camomiles of several kinds.
\'d8Ma"gi (?), n. pl. [L., pl.
of Magus, Gr. Mage,
Magic.] A caste of priests, philosophers, and
magicians, among the ancient Persians; hence, any holy men or
sages of the East.
The inspired Magi from the Orient came.
Sandys.
Ma"gi*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the Magi.
Ma"gi*an, n. One of the Magi, or priests
of the Zoroastrian religion in Persia; an adherent of the
Zoroastrian religion. -- Ma"gi*an*ism
(#), n.
Mag"ic (?), n. [OE.
magique, L. magice, Gr. Magic, a., and Magi.]
A comprehensive name for all of the pretended arts which
claim to produce effects by the assistance of supernatural
beings, or departed spirits, or by a mastery of secret forces in
nature attained by a study of occult science, including
enchantment, conjuration, witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy,
incantation, etc.
An appearance made by some magic.
Chaucer.
Celestial magic, a supposed supernatural power
which gave to spirits a kind of dominion over the planets, and to
the planets an influence over men. -- Natural
magic, the art of employing the powers of nature to
produce effects apparently supernatural. --
Superstitious, Geotic,
magic, the invocation of devils or demons,
involving the supposition of some tacit or express agreement
between them and human beings.
Syn. -- Sorcery; witchcraft; necromancy; conjuration;
enchantment.
{ Mag"ic (?), Mag"ic*al
(?), } a. [L. magicus,
Gr. magique. See
Magi.] 1. Pertaining to the hidden
wisdom supposed to be possessed by the Magi; relating to the
occult powers of nature, and the producing of effects by their
agency.
2. Performed by, or proceeding from, occult and
superhuman agencies; done by, or seemingly done by, enchantment
or sorcery. Hence: Seemingly requiring more than human power;
imposing or startling in performance; producing effects which
seem supernatural or very extraordinary; having extraordinary
properties; as, a magic lantern; a magic
square or circle.
The painter's magic skill.
Cowper.
magic is used
more than magical, -- as, magic circle,
magic square, magic wand, -- we may in
general say magic or magical; as, a
magic or magical effect; a magic
or magical influence, etc. But when the adjective is
predicative, magical, and not magic, is
used; as, the effect was magical.
Magic circle, a series of concentric circles
containing the numbers 12 to 75 in eight radii, and having
somewhat similar properties to the magic square. --
Magic humming bird (Zo\'94l.), a
Mexican humming bird (Iache magica) , having white
downy thing tufts. -- Magic lantern. See
Lantern. -- Magic square, numbers so
disposed in parallel and equal rows in the form of a square, that
each row, taken vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, shall
give the same sum, the same product, or an harmonical series,
according as the numbers taken are in arithmetical, geometrical,
or harmonical progression. -- Magic wand, a
wand used by a magician in performing feats of magic.
Mag"ic*al*ly (?), adv. In a
magical manner; by magic, or as if by magic.
Ma*gi"cian (?), n. [F.
magicien. See Magic, n.]
One skilled in magic; one who practices the black art; an
enchanter; a necromancer; a sorcerer or sorceress; a
conjurer.<-- these days, mostly an entertainer who produces
seemingly magical effects by clever illusions; most magicians
admit that the craft is mere illusion, rather than a true
supernatural art. -->
{ Ma*gilp" (?), Ma*gilph"
(?), } n. (Paint.) See
Megilp.
\'d8Ma*gis"ter (?), n. [L. See
Master.] Master; sir; -- a title of the
Middle Ages, given to a person in authority, or to one having a
license from a university to teach philosophy and the liberal
arts.
Mag`is*te"ri*al (?), a. [L.
magisterius magisterial. See Master.]
1. Of or pertaining to a master or magistrate, or
one in authority; having the manner of a magister; official;
commanding; authoritative. Hence: Overbearing; dictatorial;
dogmatic.
When magisterial duties from his home
Her father called.
Glover.
We are not magisterial in opinions, nor,
dictator-like, obtrude our notions on any man.
Sir T. Browne.
Pretenses go a great way with men that take fair words and
magisterial looks for current payment.
L'Estrange.
2. (Alchem. & Old Chem.) Pertaining to,
produced by, or of the nature of, magistery. See
Magistery, 2.
Syn. -- Authoritative; stately; august; pompous; dignified;
lofty; commanding; imperious; lordly; proud; haughty;
domineering; despotic; dogmatical; arrogant. --
Magisterial, Dogmatical, Arrogant. One
who is magisterial assumes the air of a master toward
his pupils; one who is dogmatical lays down his
positions in a tone of authority or dictation; one who is
arrogant in sults others by an undue assumption of
superiority. Those who have long been teachers sometimes acquire,
unconsciously, a manner which borders too much on the
magisterial, and may be unjustly construed as
dogmatical, or even arrogant.
Mag`is*te`ri*al"i*ty (?), n.
Magisterialness; authoritativeness. [R.]
Fuller.
Mag`is*te"ri*al*ly (?), adv. In
a magisterial manner.
Mag`is*te"ri*al*ness, n. The quality or
state of being magisterial.
Mag"is*ter*y (?), n. [L.
magisterium the office of a chief, president,
director, tutor. See Magistrate.] 1.
Mastery; powerful medical influence; renowned efficacy; a
sovereign remedy. [Obs.]
Holland.
2. A magisterial injunction.
[R.]
Brougham.
3. (Chem.) A precipitate; a fine
substance deposited by precipitation; -- applied in old chemistry
to certain white precipitates from metallic solutions; as,
magistery of bismuth.
Ure.
Mag"is*tra*cy (?), n.; pl.
Magistracies (#). [From
Magistrate.] 1. The office or
dignity of a magistrate.
Blackstone.
2. The collective body of magistrates.
Mag"is*tral (?), a. [L.
magistralis: cf. F. magistral. See
Magistrate.] 1. Pertaining to a
master; magisterial; authoritative; dogmatic.
2. Commanded or prescribed by a magister, esp. by a
doctor; hence, effectual; sovereign; as, a magistral
sirup. \'bdSome magistral opiate.\'b8
Bacon.
3. (Pharmacy) Formulated
extemporaneously, or for a special case; -- opposed to
officinal, and said of prescriptions and
medicines.
Dunglison.
Magistral line (Fort.), the guiding
line, or outline, or outline, by which the form of the work is
determined. It is usually the crest line of the parapet in
fieldworks, or the top line of the escarp in permanent
fortifications.
Mag"is*tral, n. 1. (Med.)
A sovereign medicine or remedy. [Obs.]
Burton.
2. (Fort.) A magistral line.
3. (Metal.) Powdered copper pyrites used
in the amalgamation of ores of silver, as at the Spanish mines of
Mexico and South America.
Mag`is*tral"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
-ties (. Magisterialness;
arbitrary dogmatism.
Bacon.
Mag"is*tral*ly (?), adv. In a
magistral manner.
Abp. Bramhall.
Mag"is*trate (?), n. [L.
magistratus, fr. magister master: cf. F.
magistrat. See Master.] A person
clothed with power as a public civil officer; a public civil
officer invested with the executive government, or some branch of
it. \'bdAll Christian rulers and
magistrates.\'b8
Book of Com. Prayer.
Of magistrates some also are supreme, in whom the
sovereign power of the state resides; others are subordinate.
Blackstone.
{ Mag`is*trat"ic (?),
Mag`is*trat"ic*al (?), } a.
Of, pertaining to, or proceeding from, a magistrate; having
the authority of a magistrate.
Jer. Taylor.
Mag"is*tra`ture (?), n. [Cf. F.
magistrature.] Magistracy.
[Obs.]
\'d8Mag"ma (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
1. Any crude
mixture of mineral or organic matters in the state of a thin
paste.
Ure.
2. (Med.) (a) A thick residuum
obtained from certain substances after the fluid parts are
expressed from them; the grounds which remain after treating a
substance with any menstruum, as water or alcohol.
(b) A salve or confection of thick
consistency.
Dunglison.
<-- p. 882 -->
3. (Geol.) (a) The molten
matter within the earth, the source of the material of lava
flows, dikes of eruptive rocks, etc. (b) The
glassy base of an eruptive rock.
4. (Chem.) The amorphous or homogenous
matrix or ground mass, as distinguished from well-defined
crystals; as, the magma of porphyry.
\'d8Mag"na Char"ta (?). [L., great
charter.] 1. The great Charter, so called,
obtained by the English barons from King John, A. D.
1215. This name is also given to the charter granted to the
people of England in the ninth year of Henry III., and confirmed
by Edward I.
2. Hence, a fundamental constitution which
guaranties rights and privileges.
Mag*nal"i*ty (?), n. [L.
magnalis mighty, fr. magnus great.]
A great act or event; a great attainment.
[Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Mag`na*nim"i*ty (?), n. [F.
magnanimit\'82, L. magnanimitas.]
The quality of being magnanimous; greatness of mind;
elevation or dignity of soul; that quality or combination of
qualities, in character, which enables one to encounter danger
and trouble with tranquility and firmness, to disdain injustice,
meanness and revenge, and to act and sacrifice for noble
objects.
Mag*nan"i*mous (?), a.[L.
magnanimus; magnus great +
animus mind. See Magnate, and
Animus.] 1. Great of mind; elevated
in soul or in sentiment; raised above what is low, mean, or
ungenerous; of lofty and courageous spirit; as, a
magnanimous character; a magnanimous
conqueror.
Be magnanimous in the enterprise.
Shak.
To give a kingdom hath been thought
Greater and nobler done, and to law down
Far more magnanimousan to assume.
Milton.
2. Dictated by or exhibiting nobleness of soul;
honorable; noble; not selfish.
Both strived for death; magnanimous debate.
Stirling.
There is an indissoluble union between a
magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public
prosperity and felicity.
Washington.
Mag*nan"i*mous*ly, adv. In a magnanimous
manner; with greatness of mind.
Mag"nase black` (?). (Paint.) A
black pigment which dries rapidly when mixed with oil, and is of
intense body.
Fairholt.
Mag"nate (?), [F. magnat, L.
(pl.) magnates, magnati, fr.
magnus great. See Master.] 1.
A person of rank; a noble or grandee; a person of influence
or distinction in any sphere.
<-- used mostly of prominent business executives; an industrial
magnate -->
Macaulay.
2. One of the nobility, or certain high officers of
state belonging to the noble estate in the national
representation of Hungary, and formerly of Poland.
Mag"nes (?), n. [L.]
Magnet. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Mag*ne"si*a (?; 277), n. [L.
Magnesia, fem. of Magnesius of the country
Magnesia, Gr. Magnet.]
(Chem.) A light earthy white substance,
consisting of magnesium oxide, and obtained by heating magnesium
hydrate or carbonate, or by burning magnesium. It has a slightly
alkaline reaction, and is used in medicine as a mild antacid
laxative. See Magnesium.
Magnesia alba [L.] (Med.
Chem.), a bulky white amorphous substance, consisting
of a hydrous basic carbonate of magnesium, and used as a mild
cathartic.
Mag*ne"sian (?), a. Pertaining
to, characterized by, or containing, magnesia or magnesium.
Magnesian limestone. (Min.) See
Dolomite.
Mag*ne"sic (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, magnesium;
as, magnesic oxide.
Mag"ne*site (?), n. [Cf. F.
magn\'82site.] (Min.) Native
magnesium carbonate occurring in white compact or granular
masses, and also in rhombohedral crystals.
Mag*ne"si*um (?), n. [NL. & F.
See Magnesia.] (Chem.) A light
silver-white metallic element, malleable and ductile, quite
permanent in dry air but tarnishing in moist air. It burns,
forming (the oxide) magnesia, with the production of a blinding
light (the so-called magnesium light) which is used in
signaling, in pyrotechny, or in photography where a strong
actinic illuminant is required. Its compounds occur abundantly,
as in dolomite, talc, meerschaum, etc. Symbol Mg. Atomic weight,
24.4. Specific gravity, 1.75.
Magnesium sulphate. (Chem.) Same as
Epsom salts.
Mag"net (?), n. [OE.
magnete, OF. magnete, L. magnes,
-etis, Gr. Magnesia, Manganese.]
1. The loadstone; a species of iron ore (the
ferrosoferric or magnetic ore, Fe3O4) which has
the property of attracting iron and some of its ores, and, when
freely suspended, of pointing to the poles; -- called also
natural magnet.
Dinocrates began to make the arched roof of the temple of
Arsino\'89 all of magnet, or this loadstone.
Holland.
Two magnets, heaven and earth, allure to bliss,
The larger loadstone that, the nearer this.
Dryden.
2. (Physics) A bar or mass of steel or
iron to which the peculiar properties of the loadstone have been
imparted; -- called, in distinction from the loadstone, an
artificial magnet.
electro-magnet.
Field magnet (Physics & Elec.), a
magnet used for producing and maintaining a magnetic field; --
used especially of the stationary or exciting magnet of a dynamo
or electromotor in distinction from that of the moving portion or
armature.
{ Mag*net"ic (?), Mag*net"ic*al
(?), } a. [L.
magneticus: cf. F. magn\'82tique.]
1. Pertaining to the magnet; possessing the
properties of the magnet, or corresponding properties; as, a
magnetic bar of iron; a magnetic
needle.
2. Of or pertaining to, or characterized by,, the
earth's magnetism; as, the magnetic north; the
magnetic meridian.
3. Capable of becoming a magnet; susceptible to
magnetism; as, the magnetic metals.
4. Endowed with extraordinary personal power to
excite the feelings and to win the affections; attractive;
inducing attachment.
She that had all magnetic force alone.
Donne.
5. Having, susceptible to, or induced by, animal
magnetism, so called; as, a magnetic sleep. See
Magnetism.
Magnetic amplitude, attraction,
dip, induction, etc. See under
Amplitude, Attraction, etc. --
Magnetic battery, a combination of bar or
horseshoe magnets with the like poles adjacent, so as to act
together with great power. -- Magnetic
compensator, a contrivance connected with a ship's
compass for compensating or neutralizing the effect of the iron
of the ship upon the needle. -- Magnetic curves,
curves indicating lines of magnetic force, as in the
arrangement of iron filings between the poles of a powerful
magnet. -- Magnetic elements. (a)
(Chem. Physics) Those elements, as iron, nickel,
cobalt, chromium, manganese, etc., which are capable or becoming
magnetic. (b) (Physics) In respect
to terrestrial magnetism, the declination, inclination, and
intensity. (c) See under Element.
-- Magnetic equator, the line around the
equatorial parts of the earth at which there is no dip, the
dipping needle being horizontal. -- Magnetic
field, Field of magnetic force,
any space through which magnet exerts its influence. --
Magnetic fluid, the hypothetical fluid whose
existence was formerly assumed in the explanations of the
phenomena of magnetism. -- Magnetic iron,
Magnetic iron ore. (Min.)
Same as Magnetite. -- Magnetic
needle, a slender bar of steel, magnetized and
suspended at its center on a sharp-pointed pivot, or by a
delicate fiber, so that it may take freely the direction of the
magnetic meridian. It constitutes the essential part of a
compass, such as the mariner's and the surveyor's. --
Magnetic poles, the two points in the opposite
polar regions of the earth at which the direction of the dipping
needle is vertical. -- Magnetic pyrites. See
Pyrrhotite. -- Magnetic storm
(Terrestrial Physics), a disturbance of the
earth's magnetic force characterized by great and sudden
changes. -- Magnetic telegraph, a telegraph
acting by means of a magnet. See Telegraph.
Mag*net"ic (?), n. 1.
A magnet. [Obs.]
As the magnetic hardest iron draws.
Milton.
2. Any metal, as iron, nickel, cobalt, etc., which
may receive, by any means, the properties of the loadstone, and
which then, when suspended, fixes itself in the direction of a
magnetic meridian.
Mag*net"ic*al*ly, adv. By or as by,
magnetism.
Mag*net"ic*al*ness, n.Quality of being
magnetic.
Mag`ne*ti"cian (?), n. One
versed in the science of magnetism; a magnetist.
Ma*net"ic*ness, n.Magneticalness.
[Obs.]
Mag*net"ics (?), n.The science
of magnetism.
Mag`net*if"er*ous (?), a. [L.
magnes, -etis + -ferous.]
Producing or conducting magnetism.
Mag"net*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
magn\'82tisme.] The property, quality, or
state, of being magnetic; the manifestation of the force in
nature which is seen in a magnet.
2. The science which treats of magnetic
phenomena.
3. Power of attraction; power to excite the
feelings and to gain the affections. \'bdBy the
magnetism of interest our affections are irresistibly
attracted.\'b8
Glanvill.
Animal magnetism, a force, more or less
analogous to magnetism, which, it has been alleged, is produced
in animal tissues, and passes from one body to another with or
without actual contact. The existence of such a force, and its
potentiality for the cure of disease, were asserted by Mesmer in
1775. His theories and methods were afterwards called
mesmerism, a name which has been popularly applied to
theories and claims not put forward by Mesmer himself. See
Mesmerism, Biology, Od,
Hypnotism. -- Terrestrial magnetism,
the magnetic force exerted by the earth, and recognized by
its effect upon magnetized needles and bars.
Mag"net*ist, n.One versed in
magnetism.
Mag"net*ite (?), n.
(Min.) An oxide of iron (Fe3O4)
occurring in isometric crystals, also massive, of a black color
and metallic luster. It is readily attracted by a magnet and
sometimes possesses polarity, being then called
loadstone. It is an important iron ore. Called
also magnetic iron.
Mag"net*i`za*ble (?), a.
Capable of magnetized.
Mag`net*i*za"tion (?), n. The
act of magnetizing, or the state of being magnetized.
Mag"net*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Magnetized
(?); prep. & adv. Magnetizing
(?).] [Cf. F.
magn\'82tiser.] 1. To communicate
magnetic properties to; as, to magnetize a
needle.
2. To attract as a magnet attracts, or like a
magnet; to move; to influence.
Fascinated, magnetized, as it were, by his
character.
Motley.
3. To bring under the influence of animal
magnetism.
Mag`net*i*zee" (?), n. A person
subjected to the influence of animal magnetism.
[R.]
Mag"net*i`zer (?), n. One who,
or that which, imparts magnetism.
Mag"net*o- (?). [See
Magnet.] A prefix meaning pertaining
to, produced by, or in some way connected
with, magnetism.
{ Mag`net*o-e*lec"tric (?),
Mag`net*o-e*lec"tric*al (?), }
a. (Physics) Pertaining to, or
characterized by, electricity by the action of magnets; as,
magneto-electric induction.
Magneto-electric machine, a form of
dynamo-electric machine in which the field is maintained by
permanent steel magnets instead of electro-magnets.
Mag`net*o-e`lec*tric"i*ty (?), n.
1. Electricity evolved by the action of
magnets.
2. (Physics) That branch of science
which treats of the development of electricity by the action of
magnets; -- the counterpart of
electro-magnetism.
Mag*net"o*graph (?), n.
[Magneto- + -graph.]
(Physics) An automatic instrument for
registering, by photography or otherwise, the states and
variations of any of the terrestrial magnetic elements.
Mag`net*om"e*ter (?), n.
[Magneto- + -meter: cf. F.
magn\'82tom\'8atre.] (Physics)
An instrument for measuring the intensity of magnetic
forces; also, less frequently, an instrument for determining any
of the terrestrial magnetic elements, as the dip and
declination.
Mag`net*o*met"ric (?), a.
Pertaining to, or employed in, the measurement of magnetic
forces; obtained by means of a magnetometer; as,
magnetometric instruments; magnetometric
measurements.
Mag`net*o*mo"tor (?), n.A
voltaic series of two or more large plates, producing a great
quantity of electricity of low tension, and hence adapted to the
exhibition of electro-magnetic phenomena. [R.]
Mag`net*o*ther"a*py (?), n.
(Med.) The treatment of disease by the
application of magnets to the surface of the body.
Mag"ni*fi`a*ble, a. [From
Magnify.] Such as can be magnified, or
extolled.
{ Mag*nif"ic (?), Mag*nif"ic*al
(?), } a. [L.
magnificus; magnus great +
facere to make: cf. F. magnifique. See
Magnitude, Fact. and cf.
Magnificent.] Grand; splendid; illustrious;
magnificent. [Obs.] 1 Chron. xxii. 5.
\'bdThy magnific deeds.\'b8 Milton. --
Mag*nif"ic*al*ly, adv.
[Obs.]
\'d8Mag*nif"i*cat (?), n. [L.,
it magnifies.] The song of the Virgin Mary, Luke
i. 46; -- so called because it commences with this word in
the Vulgate.
Mag*nif"i*cate (?), v. t. [L.
magnificatus, p. p. of magnificare.]
To magnify or extol. [Obs.]
Marston.
Mag`ni*fi*ca"tion (?), n. The
act of magnifying; enlargement; exaggeration.
[R.]
Mag*nif"i*cence (?), n. [F.
magnificence, L. magnificentia. See
Magnific.] The act of doing what magnificent;
the state or quality of being magnificent. Acts xix.
27. \'bdThen cometh magnificence.\'b8
Chaucer.
And, for the heaven's wide circuit, let it speak
The Maker's high magnificence, who built
so spacious.
Milton.
The noblest monuments of Roman magnificence.
Eustace.
Mag*nif"i*cent (?), a. [See
Magnificence.] 1. Doing grand
things; admirable in action; displaying great power or opulence,
especially in building, way of living, and munificence.
A prince is never so magnificent
As when he's sparing to enrich a few
With the injuries of many.
Massinger.
2. Grand in appearance; exhibiting grandeur or
splendor; splendid' pompous.
When Rome's exalted beauties I descry
Magnificent in piles of ruin lie.
Addison.
Syn. -- Glorious; majestic; sublime. See
Grand.
Mag*nif"i*cent*ly, adv. In a Magnificent
manner.
Mag*nif"i*co (?), n.; pl.
Magnificoes (#). [It. See
Magnific.] 1. A grandee or nobleman of
Venice; -- so called in courtesy.
Shak.
2. A rector of a German university.
Mag"ni*fi`er (?), n. One who,
or that which, magnifies.
Mag"ni*fy (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Magnified
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Magnifying
(?).] [OE. magnifien, F.
magnifier, L. magnificare. See
Magnific.] 1. To make great, or
greater; to increase the dimensions of; to amplify; to enlarge,
either in fact or in appearance; as, the microscope
magnifies the object by a thousand diameters.
The least error in a small quantity . . . will in a great one
. . . be proportionately magnified.
Grew.
2. To increase the importance of; to augment the
esteem or respect in which one is held.
On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight
of all Israel.
Joshua iv. 14.
3. To praise highly; to land; to extol.
[Archaic]
O, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his
name together.
Ps. xxxiv. 3.
4. To exaggerate; as, to magnify a
loss or a difficulty.
To magnify one's self (Script.), to
exhibit pride and haughtiness; to boast. -- To magnify
one's self against (Script.), to oppose with
pride.
Mag"ni*fy, v. i. 1. To have the
power of causing objects to appear larger than they really are;
to increase the apparent dimensions of objects; as, some
lenses magnify but little.
2. To have effect; to be of importance or
significance. [Cant & Obs.]
Spectator.
Magnifying glass, a lens which magnifies the
apparent dimensions of objects seen through it.
Mag*nil"o*quence (?), n. [L.
magniloquentia.] The quality of being
magniloquent; pompous discourse; grandiloquence.
Mag*nil"o*quent (?), a. [L.
magnus great + loquens, -entis,
p. pr. of loqui to speak. See Magnitude,
Loquacious.] Speaking pompously; using
swelling discourse; bombastic; tumid in style;
grandiloquent. -- Mag*nil"o*quent*ly,
adv.
Mag*nil"o*quous (?), a. [L.
magniloquus.] Magniloquent.
[Obs.]
Mag"ni*tude (?), n. [L.
magnitudo, from magnus great. See
Master, and cf. Maxim.] 1.
Extent of dimensions; size; -- applied to things that have
length, breath, and thickness.
Conceive those particles of bodies to be so disposed amongst
themselves, that the intervals of empty spaces between them may
be equal in magnitude to them all.
Sir I. Newton.
2. (Geom.) That which has one or more of
the three dimensions, length, breadth, and thickness.
3. Anything of which greater or less can be
predicated, as time, weight, force, and the like.
<-- p. 883 -->
4. Greatness; grandeur. \'bdWith plain,
heroic magnitude of mind.\'b8
Milton.
5. Greatness, in reference to influence or effect;
importance; as, an affair of magnitude.
The magnitude of his designs.
Bp. Horsley.
Apparent magnitude (Opt.), the
angular breadth of an object viewed as measured by the angle
which it subtends at the eye of the observer; -- called also
apparent diameter. -- Magnitude of a
star (Astron.), the rank of a star with
respect to brightness. About twenty very bright stars are said to
be of first magnitude, the stars of the sixth magnitude being
just visible to the naked eye. Telescopic stars are classified
down to the twelfth magnitude or lower. The scale of the
magnitudes is quite arbitrary, but by means of photometers, the
classification has been made to tenths of a magnitude.
<-- the difference in actual brightness between magnitudes is now
specified as a factor of 2.512, i.e. the difference in brightness
is 100 for stars differing by five magnitudes. -->
Mag*no"li*a (?), n. [NL. Named
after Pierre Magnol, professor of botany at
Montpellier, France, in the 17th century.]
(Bot.) A genus of American and Asiatic trees,
with aromatic bark and large sweet-scented whitish or reddish
flowers.
Magnolia grandiflora has coriaceous
shining leaves and very fragrant blossoms. It is common from
North Carolina to Florida and Texas, and is one of the most
magnificent trees of the American forest. The sweet bay (M.
glauca)is a small tree found sparingly as far north as Cape
Ann. Other American species are M. Umbrella, M.
macrophylla, M. Fraseri, M.
acuminata, and M. cordata. M.
conspicua and M. purpurea are cultivated shrubs
or trees from Eastern Asia. M. Campbellii, of India,
has rose-colored or crimson flowers.
Magnolia warbler (Zo\'94l.), a
beautiful North American wood warbler (Dendroica
maculosa). The rump and under parts are bright yellow; the
breast and belly are spotted with black; the under tail coverts
are white; the crown is ash.
Mag*no`li*a"ceous (?), a.
(Bot.) Pertaining to a natural order
(Magnoliace\'91) of trees of which the magnolia, the
tulip tree, and the star anise are examples.
\'d8Mag"num (?), n. [Neut.
sing. of L. magnus great.] 1. A
large wine bottle.
They passed the magnum to one another freely.
Sir W. Scott.
2. (Anat.) A bone of the carpus at the
base of the third metacarpal bone.
Mag"ot (?), n. [F.]
(Zo\'94l.) The Barbary ape.
Mag"ot-pie` (?), n. A
magpie. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mag"pie (?), n. [OE. & Prov. E.
magot pie, maggoty pie, fr. Mag,
Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and fr. F.
Marquerite, and common name of the magpie.
Marguerite is fr. L. margarita pearl, Gr.
Pie magpie, and cf.
the analogous names Tomtit, and Jackdaw.]
(Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of the
genus Pica and related genera, allied to the jays, but
having a long graduated tail.
Pica pica, or
P. caudata) is a black and white noisy and mischievous
bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie (P.
Hudsonica) is very similar. The yellow-belled magpie
(P. Nuttalli) inhabits California. The blue magpie
(Cyanopolius Cooki) inhabits Spain. Other allied
species are found in Asia. The Tasmanian and Australian magpies
are crow shrikes, as the white magpie (Gymnorhina
organicum), the black magpie (Strepera
fuliginosa), and the Australian magpie (Cracticus
picatus).
Magpie lark (Zo\'94l.), a common
Australian bird (Grallina picata), conspicuously
marked with black and white; -- called also little
magpie. -- Magpie moth
(Zo\'94l.), a black and white European geometrid
moth (Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin moth. Its
larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes.
\'d8Ma`gua*ri" (?), n. [From
native name: cf. Pg. magoari.]
(Zo\'94l.) A South American stork (Euxenara
maguari), having a forked tail.
Mag"uey (?), n. [Sp.
maguey, Mexican maguei and
metl.] (Bot.) The century plant,
a species of Agave (A. Americana). See
Agave.
Mag"yar (?), n. [Hung.]
1. (Ethnol.) One of the dominant people
of Hungary, allied to the Finns; a Hungarian.
2. The language of the Magyars.
\'d8Ma"ha (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A kind of baboon; the wanderoo.
{ \'d8Ma*ha*ba"ra*ta (?),
\'d8Ma*ha*bha"ra*tam (?), } n.
[Skr. mah\'bebh\'berata.] A celebrated
epic poem of the Hindoos. It is of great length, and is chiefly
devoted to the history of a civil war between two dynasties of
ancient India.
\'d8Ma*ha"led (?), n.[Ar.
mahled.] (Bot.) A cherry tree (Prunus
Mahaleb) of Southern Europe. The wood is prized by
cabinetmakers, the twigs are used for pipe stems, the flowers and
leaves yield a perfume, and from the fruit a violet dye and a
fermented liquor (like kirschwasser) are prepared.
\'d8Ma*ha*ra"jah (?), n. [Skr.
mah\'ber\'beja; mahat great +
r\'beja king.] A sovereign prince in India;
-- a title given also to other persons of high rank.
\'d8Ma`ha*rif" (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) An African antelope (Hippotragus
Bakeri). Its face is striped with black and white.
\'d8Ma*har"mah (?), n. A muslin
wrapper for the head and the lower part of the face, worn by
Turkish and Armenian women when they go abroad.
Mah"di (?), n. [Ar., guide,
leader.] Among Mohammedans, the last imam
or leader of the faithful. The Sunni, the largest sect of the
Mohammedans, believe that he is yet to appear.
Mahl"-stick` (?), n. See
Maul-stick.
Ma"hoe (?), n. (Bot.)
A name given to several malvaceous trees (species of
Hibiscus, Ochroma, etc.), and to their
strong fibrous inner bark, which is used for strings and
cordage.
Ma*hog"a*ny (?), n. [From the
South American name.] 1. (Bot.) A
large tree of the genus Swietenia (S.
Mahogoni), found in tropical America.
Khaya Senegalensis), Australian mahogany
(Eucalyptus marginatus), Bastard mahogany
(Batonia apetala of the West Indies), Indian mahogany
(Cedrela Toona of Bengal, and trees of the genera
Soymida and Chukrassia), Madeira mahogany
(Persea Indica), Mountain mahogany, the black or
cherry birch (Betula lenta), also the several species
of Cercocarpus of California and the Rocky
Mountains.
2. The wood of the Swietenia Mahogoni.
It is of a reddish brown color, beautifully veined, very hard,
and susceptible of a fine polish. It is used in the manufacture
of furniture.
3. A table made of mahogany wood.
[Colloq.]
To be under the mahogany, to be so drunk as to
have fallen under the table. [Eng.] -- To
put one's legs under some one's mahogany, to dine with
him. [Slang]
\'d8Ma*ho"li (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A South African lemur (Galago
maholi), having very large ears. [Written also
moholi.]
{ Ma*hom"ed*an (?), Ma*hom"et*an
(?), } n. See
Mohammedan.
Ma*hom"et*an*ism (?), n. See
Mohammedanism.
Ma*hom"et*an*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mahometanized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mahometanizing
(?).] To convert to the religion of
Mohammed; to Mohammedanize.
Ma*hom"et*ism (?), n. See
Mohammedanism.
Ma*hom"et*ist, n. A Mohammedan.
[R.]
Ma*hom"et*ry (?), n.
Mohammedanism. [Obs.]
Ma*hone" (?), n. A large
Turkish ship.
Crabb.
Ma*ho"ni*a (?), n. [Named after
Bernard McMahon.] (Bot.) The
Oregon grape, a species of barberry (Berberis
Aquifolium), often cultivated for its hollylike
foliage.
Ma*hon" stock` (?). (Bot.) An
annual cruciferous plant with reddish purple or white flowers
(Malcolmia maritima). It is called in England
Virginia stock, but the plant comes from the
Mediterranean.
\'d8Ma*hoo"hoo (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The African white two-horned
rhinoceros (Atelodus simus).
Ma"ho*ri (?), n. [Native name.
Cf. Maori.] (Ethnol.) One of the
dark race inhabiting principally the islands of Eastern
Polynesia. Also used adjectively.
Ma`hound (?), n. A contemptuous
name for Mohammed; hence, an evil spirit; a devil.
[Obs.]
Who's this, my mahound cousin ?
Beau. & Fl.
\'d8Ma*hout" (?), n. [Hind.
mah\'bewat, Skr. mah\'bem\'betra;
mahat great + m\'betr\'be measure.]
The keeper and driver of an elephant. [East
Indies]
Ma*ho"vo (?), n. (Mach.)
A device for saving power in stopping and starting a
railroad car, by means of a heavy fly wheel.
Mah*rat"i (?), n. The language
of the Mahrattas; the language spoken in the Deccan and
Concan. [Written also Marathi.]
Mah*rat"ta (?), n. [Hind.
Marhat\'be, Marh\'bett\'be, the name of a
famous Hindoo race, from the old Skr. name
Mah\'be-r\'beshtra.] One of a numerous
people inhabiting the southwestern part of India. Also, the
language of the Mahrattas; Mahrati. It is closely allied to
Sanskrit. -- a. Of or pertaining to
the Mahrattas. [Written also
Maratha.]
{ Ma*hu"met*an (?),
Ma*hu"met*an*ism (?), n.
}See Mohammedan,
Mohammedanism.
Mah"wa tree` (?). (Bot.) An
East Indian sapotaceous tree (Bassia latifolia, and
also B. butyracea), whose timber is used for wagon
wheels, and the flowers for food and in preparing an intoxicating
drink. It is one of the butter trees. The oil, known as
mahwa and yallah, is obtained from the
kernels of the fruit.
\'d8Ma"i*a (?), n. [From L.
Maia, a goddess.] (Zo\'94l.)
(a) A genus of spider crabs, including the common
European species (Maia squinado). (b)
A beautiful American bombycid moth (Eucronia
maia).
Ma"ian (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
Any spider crab of the genus Maia, or family
Maiad\'91.
Maid (?), n. [Shortened from
maiden. . See Maiden.]
1. An unmarried woman; usually, a young unmarried
woman; esp., a girl; a virgin; a maiden.
Would I had died a maid,
And never seen thee, never borne thee son.
Shak.
Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her
attire? Yet my people have forgotten me.
Jer. ii. 32.
2. A man who has not had sexual intercourse.
[Obs.]
Christ was a maid and shapen as a man.
Chaucer.
3. A female servant.
Spinning amongst her maids.
Shak.
Maid is used either adjectively or in
composition, signifying female, as in maid
child, maidservant.
4. (Zo\'94l.) The female of a ray or
skate, esp. of the gray skate (Raia batis), and of the
thornback (R. clavata). [Prov.
Eng.]
Fair maid. (Zo\'94l.) See under
Fair, a. -- Maid of honor,
a female attendant of a queen or royal princess; -- usually
of noble family, and having to perform only nominal or honorary
duties. -- Old maid. See under
Old.
<-- maid of honor. principal female attendant (if unmarried) of a
bride at wedding. (If married, matron of honor.) -->
Maid"en (?), n. [OE.
maiden, meiden, AS. m\'91gden,
dim. of AS. m\'91g, fr. mago son,
servant; akin to G. magd, m\'84dchen, maid,
OHG. magad, Icel. m\'94gr son, Goth.
magus boy, child, magaps virgin, and perh.
to Zend. magu youth. Cf. Maid a
virgin.] 1. An unmarried woman; a girl or
woman who has not experienced sexual intercourse; a virgin; a
maid.
She employed the residue of her life to repairing of highways,
building of bridges, and endowing of maidens.
Carew.
A maiden of our century, yet most meek.
Tennyson.
2. A female servant. [Obs.]
3. An instrument resembling the guillotine,
formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals.
Wharton.
4. A machine for washing linen.
Maid"en, a. 1. Of or pertaining
to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a
virgin; as, maiden innocence. \'bdAmid
the maiden throng.\'b8
Addison.
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame ?
Shak.
2. Never having been married; not having had sexual
intercourse; virgin; -- said usually of the woman, but sometimes
of the man; as, a maiden aunt. \'bdA
surprising old maiden lady.\'b8
Thackeray.
3. Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto
unused. \'bdMaiden flowers.'
Shak.
Full bravely hast thou fleshed
Thy maiden sword.
Shak.
4. Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never
been captured, or violated.
T. Warton. Macaulay.
Maiden assize (Eng. Law), an assize
which there is no criminal prosecution; an assize which is
unpolluted with blood. It was usual, at such an assize, for the
sheriff to present the judge with a pair of white gloves.
Smart. -- Maiden name, the surname
of a woman before her marriage. -- Maiden pink.
(Bot.) See under Pink. --
Maiden plum (Bot.), a West Indian tree
(Comocladia integrifolia) with purplish drupes. The
sap of the tree is glutinous, and gives a persistent black
stain. -- Maiden speech, the first speech
made by a person, esp. by a new member in a public body. --
Maiden tower, the tower most capable of resisting
an enemy.<-- maiden voyage. first regular service
voyage of a ship -->
Maid"en, v. t. To act coyly like a
maiden; -- with it as an indefinite object.
For had I maiden'd it, as many use.
Loath for to grant, but loather to refuse.
Bp. Hall.
Maid"en*hair` (?), n.
(Bot.) A fern of the genus Adiantum
(A. pedatum), having very slender graceful stalks. It
is common in the United States, and is sometimes used in
medicine. The name is also applied to other species of the same
genus, as to the Venus-hair.
Maiden grass, the smaller quaking grass.
-- Maiden tree. See Ginkgo.
Maid"en*head (?), n. [See
Maidenhood.] 1. The state of being a
maiden; maidenhood; virginity.
Shak.
2. The state of being unused or uncontaminated;
freshness; purity. [Obs.]
The maidenhead of their credit.
Sir H. Wotton.
3. The hymen, or virginal membrane.
Maid"en*hood (?), n. [AS.
m\'91gdenh\'bed. See Maid, and
-hood.] 1. The state of being a maid
or a virgin; virginity.
Shak.
2. Newness; freshness; uncontaminated state.
The maidenhood
Of thy fight.
Shak.
Maid"en*like` (?), a. Like a
maiden; modest; coy.
Maid"en*li*ness (?), n. The
quality of being maidenly; the behavior that becomes a maid;
modesty; gentleness.
Maid"en*ly, a. Like a maid; suiting a
maid; maiden-like; gentle, modest, reserved.
Must you be blushing ? . . .
What a maidenly man-at-arms are you become !
Shak.
Maid"en*ly, adv. In a maidenlike
manner. \'bdMaidenly demure.\'b8
Skelton.
Maid"en*ship, n. Maidenhood.
[Obs.]
Fuller.
Maid"hood (?), n. [AS.
m\'91g. See Maid, and
-hood.] Maidenhood.
Shak.
Maid`ma"ri*an (?), n.
[Maid + Marian, relating to
Mary, or the Virgin Mary.]
1. The lady of the May games; one of the characters
in a morris dance; a May queen. Afterward, a grotesque character
personated in sports and buffoonery by a man in woman's
clothes.
2. A kind of dance.
Sir W. Temple.
Maid"pale` (?), a. Pale, like a
sick girl.
Shak.
Maid"serv`ant (?), n. A female
servant.
Maid's" hair` (?). (Bot.) The
yellow bedstraw (Galium verum).
{ Ma*ieu"tic (?), Ma*ieu"tic*al
(?), } a. [Gr. 1. Serving to assist
childbirth.
Cudworth.
2. Fig. : Aiding, or tending to, the definition and
interpretation of thoughts or language.
Payne.
Ma*ieu"tics (?), n. The art of
giving birth (i. e., clearness and conviction) to ideas,
which are conceived as struggling for birth.
Payne.
Mai"ger (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The meagre.
Mai"gre (?), a. [F. See
Meager.] Belonging to a fast day or fast;
as, a maigre day.
Walpole.
Maigre food (R. C. Ch.), food
allowed to be eaten on fast days.
<-- p. 884 -->
Mai"hem (?), n. See
Maim, and Mayhem.
\'d8Mai*kel" (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A South American carnivore of the
genus Conepatus, allied to the skunk, but larger, and
having a longer snout. The tail is not bushy.
\'d8Mai*kong" (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A South American wild dog (Canis
cancrivorus); the crab-eating dog.
Mail (?), n. A spot.
[Obs.]
Mail, n. [F. maille, OF. also
maaille, LL. medalia. See
Medal.] 1. A small piece of money;
especially, an English silver half-penny of the time of Henry
V. [Obs.] [Written also
maile, and maille.]
2. Rent; tribute. [Obs., except in
certain compounds and phrases, as blackmail, mails and duties,
etc.]
Mail and duties (Scots Law), the
rents of an estate, in whatever form paid.
Mail, n. [OE. maile,
maille, F. maille a ring of mail, mesh,
network, a coat of mail, fr. L. macula spot, a mesh of
a net. Cf. Macle, Macula,
Mascle.] 1. A flexible fabric made
of metal rings interlinked. It was used especially for defensive
armor.
Chaucer.
Chain mail, Coat of mail.
See under Chain, and Coat.
2. Hence generally, armor, or any defensive
covering.
3. (Naut.) A contrivance of interlinked
rings, for rubbing off the loose hemp on lines and white
cordage.
4. (Zo\'94l.) Any hard protective
covering of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles,
shell of a lobster, etc.
We . . . strip the lobster of his scarlet mail.
Gay.
Mail, v. t. 1. To arm with
mail.
2. To pinion. [Obs.]
Mail, n. [OE. male bag, OF.
male, F. malle bag, trunk, mail, OHG.
malaha, malha, wallet; akin to D.
maal, male; cf. Gael. & Ir.
mala, Gr. 1. A
bag; a wallet. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
2. The bag or bags with the letters, papers,
papers, or other matter contained therein, conveyed under public
authority from one post office to another; the whole system of
appliances used by government in the conveyance and delivery of
mail matter.
There is a mail come in to-day, with letters dated
Hague.
Tatler.
3. That which comes in the mail; letters, etc.,
received through the post office.
4. A trunk, box, or bag, in which clothing, etc.,
may be carried. [Obs.]
Sir W. Scott.
Mail bag, a bag in which mailed matter is
conveyed under public authority. -- Mail boat,
a boat that carries the mail. -- Mail
catcher, an iron rod, or other contrivance, attached to
a railroad car for catching a mail bag while the train is in
motion. -- Mail guard, an officer whose duty
it is to guard the public mails. [Eng.] --
Mail train, a railroad train carrying the
mail.
Mail, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mailing.] To deliver into the custody
of the postoffice officials, or place in a government letter box,
for transmission by mail; to post; as, to mail a
letter. [U. S.]
to mail and to
post are both in common use; as, to mail or
post a letter. In England post is the
commoner usage.
Mail"a*ble (?), a. Admissible
lawfully into the mail. [U.S.]
Mail"clad` (?), a. Protected by
a coat of mail; clad in armor.
Sir W. Scott.
Mailed (?), a. (Zo\'94l.)
Protected by an external coat, or covering, of scales or
plates.
Mailed, a. [See 1st
Mail.] Spotted; speckled.
Mail"ing (?), n. [Scot., fr.
mail tribute, rent. See 2d Mail.]
A farm. [Scot.]
Sir W. Scott.
Mail"-shell` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A chiton.
Maim (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Maimed
(?);p. pr. & vb. n.
Maiming.] [OE. maimen, OF.
mahaignier, mehaignier,
meshaignier, cf. It. magagnare, LL.
mahemiare, mahennare; perh. of Celtic
origin; cf. Armor. mac'ha to mutilate,
m\'bec'ha to crowd, press; or cf. OHG.
mang to lack, perh. akin to E. mangle
to lacerate. Cf. Mayhem.] 1. To
deprive of the use of a limb, so as to render a person on
fighting less able either to defend himself or to annoy his
adversary.
By the ancient law of England he that maimed any
man whereby he lost any part of his body, was sentenced to lose
the like part.
Blackstone.
2. To mutilate; to cripple; to injure; to disable;
to impair.
My late maimed limbs lack wonted might.
Spenser.
You maimed the jurisdiction of all bishops.
Shak.
Syn. -- To mutilate; mangle; cripple.
Maim, n. [Written in law language
maihem, and mayhem.] [OF.
mehaing. See Maim, v.]
1. The privation of the use of a limb or member of
the body, by which one is rendered less able to defend himself or
to annoy his adversary.
2. The privation of any necessary part; a
crippling; mutilation; injury; deprivation of something
essential. See Mayhem.
Surely there is more cause to fear lest the want there of be a
maim than the use of it a blemish.
Hooker.
A noble author esteems it to be a maim in history
that the acts of Parliament should not be recited.
Hayward.
Maim"ed*ly (?), adv. In a
maimed manner.
Maim"ed*ness, n. State of being
maimed.
Bolton.
Main (?), n. [F.
main hand, L. manus. See
Manual.] 1. A hand or match at
dice.
Prior. Thackeray.
2. A stake played for at dice.
[Obs.]
Shak.
3. The largest throw in a match at dice; a throw at
dice within given limits, as in the game of hazard.
4. A match at cockfighting. \'bdMy lord would
ride twenty miles . . . to see a main fought.\'b8
Thackeray.
5. A main-hamper. [Obs.]
Ainsworth.
Main, n. [AS. m\'91gen
strength, power, force; akin to OHG. magan, Icel.
megin, and to E. may, v. May, v.] 1. Strength;
force; might; violent effort. [Obs., except in
certain phrases.]
There were in this battle of most might and
main.
R. of Gl.
He 'gan advance,
With huge force, and with importable main.
Spenser.
2. The chief or principal part; the main or most
important thing. [Obs., except in special
uses.]
Resolved to rest upon the title of Lancaster as the
main, and to use the other two . . . but as
supporters.
Bacon.
3. Specifically: (a) The great sea, as
distinguished from an arm, bay, etc. ; the high sea; the
ocean. \'bdStruggling in the main.\'b8
Dryden. (b) The continent, as
distinguished from an island; the mainland. \'bdInvaded the
main of Spain.\'b8 Bacon. (c)
principal duct or pipe, as distinguished from lesser ones;
esp. (Engin.), a principal pipe leading to or from a
reservoir; as, a fire main.
Forcing main, the delivery pipe of a
pump. -- For the main, In the
main, for the most part; in the greatest
part. -- With might and main, With all one's might and main, with all
one's strength; with violent effort.
With might and main they chased the murderous
fox.
Dryden.
Main (?), a. [From
Main strength, possibly influenced by OF.
maine, magne, great, L. magnus.
Cf. Magnate.] 1. Very or extremely
strong. [Obs.]
That current with main fury ran.
Daniel.
2. Vast; huge. [Obs.] \'bdThe
main abyss.\'b8
Milton.
3. Unqualified; absolute; entire; sheer.
[Obs.] \'bdIt's a man untruth.\'b8
Sir W. Scott.
4. Principal; chief; first in size, rank,
importance, etc.
Our main interest is to be happy as we can.
Tillotson.
5. Important; necessary. [Obs.]
That which thou aright
Believest so main to our success, I bring.
Milton.
By main force, by mere force or sheer force;
by violent effort; as, to subdue insurrection by main
force.
That Maine which by main force Warwick did win.
Shak.
-- By main strength, by sheer strength; as, to
lift a heavy weight by main strength. --
Main beam (Steam Engine), working
beam. -- Main boom (Naut.), the
boom which extends the foot of the mainsail in a fore and aft
vessel. -- Main brace. (a)
(Mech.) The brace which resists the chief strain.
Cf. Counter brace. (b) (Naut.)
The brace attached to the main yard. -- Main
center (Steam Engine), a shaft upon which a
working beam or side lever swings. -- Main
chance. See under Chance. -- Main
couple (Arch.), the principal truss in a
roof. -- Main deck (Naut.), the
deck next below the spar deck; the principal deck. --
Main keel (Naut.), the principal or
true keel of a vessel, as distinguished from the false
keel.
Syn. -- Principal; chief; leading; cardinal; capital.
Main, adv. [See Main,
a.] Very extremely; as, main
heavy. \'bdI'm main dry.\'b8
Foote. [Obs. or Low]
Maine (?), n. One of the New
England States.
Maine law, any law prohibiting the manufacture
and sale of intoxicating beverages, esp. one resembling that
enacted in the State of Maine.
Main`-gauche" (m,
n. [F., the left hand.] (Ancient
Armor) The dagger held in the left hand, while the
rapier is held in the right; -- used to parry thrusts of the
adversary's rapier.
Main"-ham`per (?), n. [F.
main hand (see Main a hand at dice) + E.
hamper.] A hamper to be carried in the
hand; a hand basket used in carrying grapes to the press.
Main"land` (?), n. The
continent; the principal land; -- opposed to island,
or peninsula.
Dryden.
After the two wayfarers had crossed from the peninsula to the
mainland.
Hawthorne.
Main"ly (?), adv. [From
main strong. See Main strength.]
Very strongly; mightily; to a great degree.
[Obs.]
Bacon. Shak.
Main"ly, adv. [From main
principal, chief.] Principally; chiefly.
Main"mast` (?), n.
(Naut.) The principal mast in a ship or other
vessel.
Main"or (?), n. [Anglo-Norm.
meinoure, OF. manuevre. See
Maneuver.] (O. Eng. Law) A thing
stolen found on the person of the thief.
mainor,\'b8 when he was taken with the thing stolen
upon him, that is, in his hands.
Wharton. Bouvier.
Main"per*na*ble (?), a. [OF.
main hand + pernable, for
prenable, that may be taken, pregnable. See
Mainpernor.] (Law) Capable of
being admitted to give surety by mainpernors; able to be
mainprised.
Main"per*nor (?), n. [OF.
main hand + pernor, for preneor,
a taker, F. preneur, fr. prendre to
take.] (Law) A surety, under the old writ
of mainprise, for a prisoner's appearance in court at a
day.
Mainpernors differ from bail
in that a man's bail may imprison or surrender him
before the stipulated day of appearance; mainpernors
can do neither; they are bound to produce him to answer all
charges whatsoever.
Blackstone.
Main"pin (?), n.
(Vehicles) A kingbolt.
Main"prise (?), n. [F.
main hand + prise a taking, fr.
prendre, p. p. pris to take, fr. L.
prehendere, prehensum.]
(Law) (a) A writ directed to the
sheriff, commanding him to take sureties, called
mainpernors, for the prisoner's appearance, and to let
him go at large. This writ is now obsolete.
Wharton. (b) Deliverance of a prisoner on
security for his appearance at a day.
Main"prise, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mainprised (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Mainprising.] (Law)
To suffer to go at large, on his finding sureties, or
mainpernors, for his appearance at a day; -- said of a
prisoner.
Mains (?), n. [Scot. See
Manse.] The farm attached to a mansion
house. [Scot.]
Main"sail` (?), n.
(Naut.) The principal sail in a ship or other
vessel.
[They] hoised up the mainsail to the wind.
Acts xxvii. 40.
mainsail of a ship is extended upon a
yard attached to the mainmast, and that of a sloop or schooner
upon the boom.
Main"sheet` (?), n.
(Naut.) One of the ropes by which the mainsail is
hauled aft and trimmed.
Main"spring` (?), n. The
principal or most important spring in a piece of mechanism,
especially the moving spring of a watch or clock or the spring in
a gunlock which impels the hammer. Hence: The chief or most
powerful motive; the efficient cause of action.
Main"stay` (?), n. 1.
(Naut.) The stay extending from the foot of the
foremast to the maintop.
2. Main support; principal dependence.
The great mainstay of the Church.
Buckle.
Main"swear` (?), v. i. [AS.
m\'benswerian to forswear; m\'ben sin,
crime + swerian to swear.] To swear
falsely. [Obs.]
Blount.
Main*tain (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Maintained
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Maintaining.] [OE.
maintenen, F. maintenir, properly, to hold
by the hand; main hand (L. manus) + F.
tenir to hold (L.tenere). See
Manual, and Tenable.] 1. To hold or
keep in any particular state or condition; to support; to
sustain; to uphold; to keep up; not to suffer to fail or decline;
as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a
furnace; to maintain a fence or a railroad; to
maintain the digestive process or powers of the stomach;
to maintain the fertility of soil; to maintain
present reputation.
2. To keep possession of; to hold and defend; not
to surrender or relinquish.
God values . . . every one as he maintains his
post.
Grew.
3. To continue; not to suffer to cease or
fail.
Maintain talk with the duke.
Shak.
4. To bear the expense of; to support; to keep up;
to supply with what is needed.
Glad, by his labor, to maintain his life.
Stirling.
What maintains one vice would bring up two
children.
Franklin.
5. To affirm; to support or defend by
argument.
It is hard to maintain the truth, but much harder
to be maintained by it.
South.
Syn. -- To assert; vindicate; allege. See
Assert.
Main*tain"a*ble (?), a. That
maybe maintained.
Main*tain"er (?), n. One who
maintains.
Main*tain"or (?), n. [OF.
mainteneor, F. mainteneur.]
(Crim. Law) One who, not being interested,
maintains a cause depending between others, by furnishing money,
etc., to either party.
Bouvier. Wharton.
Main"te*nance (?), n. [OF.
maintenance. See Maintain.] 1.
The act of maintaining; sustenance; support; defense;
vindication.
Whatsoever is granted to the church for God's honor and the
maintenance of his service, is granted to God.
South.
2. That which maintains or supports; means of
sustenance; supply of necessaries and conveniences.
Those of better fortune not making learning their
maintenance.
Swift.
3. (Crim. Law) An officious or unlawful
intermeddling in a cause depending between others, by assisting
either party with money or means to carry it on. See
Champerty.
Wharton.
Cap of maintenance. See under
Cap.
Main"top` (?), n. (Naut.)
The platform about the head of the mainmast in square-rigged
vessels.
Main" yard` (?). (Naut.) The
yard on which the mainsail is extended, supported by the
mainmast.
Mai"oid (?), a.
[Maia + -oid.]
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the genus Maia, or
family Maiade\'91.
Mais"ter (?), n. Master.
[Obs.]
Chaucer. Spenser.
Mais"ter, a. Principal; chief.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
{ Mais"tre (?), Mais"trie,
Mais"try (?) }, n.
Mastery; superiority; art. See Mastery.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mais"tress (?), n.
Mistress. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mai"thes (?), n. (Bot.)
Same as Maghet.
Maize (?), n. [Sp.
maiz. fr. mahiz or mahis, i (Bot.)
A large species of American grass of the genus
Zea (Z. Mays), widely cultivated as a
forage and food plant; Indian corn. Also, its seed, growing on
cobs, and used as food for men animals.
Maize eater (Zo\'94l.), a South
American bird of the genus Pseudoleistes, allied to
the troupials. -- Maize yellow, a delicate
pale yellow.
{ Maj`es*tat"ic (?),
Maj`es*tat"*al (?), } a.
Majestic. [Obs.]
E. Pocock. Dr. J. Scott.
Ma*jes"tic (?), a. [From
Majesty.] Possessing or exhibiting majesty;
of august dignity, stateliness, or imposing grandeur; lofty;
noble; grand. \'bdThe majestic world.\'b8
Shak. \'bdTethys'grave majestic
pace.\'b8
Milton.
The least portions must be of the epic kind; all must be
grave, majestic, and sublime.
Dryden.
Syn. -- August; splendid; grand; sublime; magnificent;
imperial; regal; pompous; stately; lofty; dignified;
elevated.
<-- p. 885 -->
Ma*jes"tic*al (?), a.
Majestic.
Cowley.
An older architecture, greater, cunninger, more
majestical.
M. Arnold.
-- Ma*jes"tic*al*ly, adv. --
Ma*jes"tic*al*ness, n.
Ma*jes"tic*ness (?), n. The
quality or state of being majestic.
Oldenburg.
Maj"es*ty (?), n.; pl.
Majesties (#). [OE.
magestee, F. majest\'82, L.
majestas, fr. an old compar. of magnus
great. See Major, Master.] The
dignity and authority of sovereign power; quality or state which
inspires awe or reverence; grandeur; exalted dignity, whether
proceeding from rank, character, or bearing; imposing loftiness;
stateliness; -- usually applied to the rank and dignity of
sovereigns.
The Lord reigneth; he is clothed with majesty.
Ps. xciii. 1.
No sovereign has ever represented the majesty of
great state with more dignity and grace.
Macaulay.
2. Hence, used with the possessive pronoun, the
title of an emperor, king or queen; -- in this sense taking a
plural; as, their majesties attended the
concert.
In all the public writs which he [Emperor Charles V.] now
issued as King of Spain, he assumed the title of
Majesty, and required it from his subjects as a mark
of respect. Before that time all the monarchs of Europe were
satisfied with the appellation of Highness or
Grace.
Robertson.
3. Dignity; elevation of manner or style.
Dryden.
Ma*jol"i*ca (?), n. [It.]
A kind of pottery, with opaque glazing and showy, which
reached its greatest perfection in Italy in the 16th
century.
Heyse.
Ma"jor (?), [L. major, compar.
of magnus great: cf. F. majeur. Cf. Master,
Mayor, Magnitude, More,
a.] 1. Greater in number,
quantity, or extent; as, the major part of the
assembly; the major part of the revenue; the
major part of the territory.
2. Of greater dignity; more important.
Shak.
3. Of full legal age. [Obs.]
4. (Mus.) Greater by a semitone, either
in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone.
Major axis (Geom.), the greater
axis. See Focus, n., 2. -- Major
key (Mus.), a key in which one and two, two
and three, four and five, five and six and seven, make major
seconds, and three and four, and seven and eight, make minor
seconds. -- Major offense (Law),
an offense of a greater degree which contains a lesser
offense, as murder and robbery include assault. --
Major premise (Logic), that premise of
a syllogism which contains the major term. -- Major
scale (Mus.), the natural diatonic scale,
which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and
fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees; the scale of the major
mode, of which the third is major. See Scale, and
Diatonic. -- Major second
(Mus.), a second between whose tones is a
difference in pitch of a step. -- Major sixth
(Mus.), a sixth of four steps and a half step. In
major keys the third and sixth from the key tone are major. Major
keys and intervals, as distinguished from minors, are more
cheerful. -- Major term (Logic),
that term of a syllogism which forms the predicate of the
conclusion. -- Major third (Mus.),
a third of two steps.
Ma"jor, n. [F. major. See
Major, a.] 1.
(Mil.) An officer next in rank above a captain
and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field
officer.
2. (Law) A person of full age.
3. (Logic) That premise which contains
the major term. It its the first proposition of a regular
syllogism; as: No unholy person is qualified for happiness in
heaven [the major]. Every man in his natural state is unholy
[minor]. Therefore, no man in his natural state is qualified for
happiness in heaven [conclusion or inference].
major.
4. [LL. See Major.] A
mayor. [Obs.]
Bacon.
\'d8Ma`jo`rat" (?), n. [F.
majorat, LL. majoratus. See Major,
a., and cf. Majorate.] 1.
The right of succession to property according to age; -- so
termed in some of the countries of continental Europe.
2. (French Law) Property, landed or
funded, so attached to a title of honor as to descend with
it.
Ma"jor*ate (?), n. The office
or rank of a major.
Ma"jor*ate (?), v. t. [LL.
majorare to augment. See Major,
a.] To augment; to increase.
[Obs.]
Howell.
Ma`jor*a"tion (?), n. Increase;
enlargement. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Ma*jor"can (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Majorca. -- n. A native
or inhabitant of Majorca.
Ma`jor-do"mo (?), n. [Sp.
mayordomo, or It. maggiordomo; both fr. LL.
majordomus; L. major greater +
domus house.] A man who has authority to
act, within certain limits, as master of the house; a steward;
also, a chief minister or officer.
Ma"jor gen"er*al (?). An officer of the
army holding a rank next above that of brigadier general and next
below that of lieutenant general, and who usually commands a
division or a corps.
Ma*jor"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Majorities (#). [F.
majorit\'82. See Major.] 1.
The quality or condition of being major or greater;
superiority. Specifically: (a) The military
rank of a major. (b) The condition of being
of full age, or authorized by law to manage one's own
affairs.
2. The greater number; more than half; as, a
majority of mankind; a majority of the votes
cast.
3. [Cf. L. majores.]
Ancestors; ancestry. [Obs.]
4. The amount or number by which one aggregate
exceeds all other aggregates with which it is contrasted;
especially, the number by which the votes for a successful
candidate exceed those for all other candidates; as, he is
elected by a majority of five hundred votes. See
Plurality.
To go over to, , the
majority, to die.
Ma"jor*ship (?), n. The office
of major.
Maj"oun (?), n. See
Madjoun.
\'d8Ma*jus"cu*l\'91 (?), n. pl.
[L., fem. pl. fr. majusculus somewhat greater or
great, dim. of major, majus. See
Major.] (Pal\'91ography) Capital
letters, as found in manuscripts of the sixth century and
earlier.
Ma*jus"cule (?), n. [Cf. F.
majuscule. See Majuscul\'91.] A
capital letter; especially, one used in ancient manuscripts. See
Majuscul\'91.
Majuscule writing, writing composed wholly of
capital letters, especially the style which prevailed in Europe
from the third to the sixth century.
Mak"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being made.
Mak"a*ron (?), n. See
Macaroon, 2. [Obs.]
Make (?), n. [AS.
maca, gemaca. See Match.]
A companion; a mate; often, a husband or a wife.
[Obs.]
For in this world no woman is
Worthy to be my make.
Chaucer.
Make, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Made (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Making.] [OE. maken,
makien, AS. macian; akin to OS.
mak, OFries. makia, D.
maken, G. machen, OHG. mahh
to join, fit, prepare, make, Dan. mage. Cf.
Match an equal.] 1. To cause to
exist; to bring into being; to form; to produce; to frame; to
fashion; to create. Hence, in various specific uses or
applications: (a) To form of materials; to cause to
exist in a certain form; to construct; to fabricate.
He . . . fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had
made it a molten calf.
Ex. xxxii. 4.
(b) To produce, as something artificial, unnatural,
or false; -- often with up; as, to make up
a story.
And Art, with her contending, doth aspire
To excel the natural with made delights.
Spenser.
(c) To bring about; to bring forward; to be the
cause or agent of; to effect, do, perform, or execute; -- often
used with a noun to form a phrase equivalent to the simple verb
that corresponds to such noun; as, to make complaint,
for to complain; to make record of, for to record; to
make abode, for to abide, etc.
Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.
Judg. xvi. 25.
Wealth maketh many friends.
Prov. xix. 4.
I will neither plead my age nor sickness in excuse of the
faults which I have made.
Dryden.
(d) To execute with the requisite formalities; as,
to make a bill, note, will, deed, etc.
(e) To gain, as the result of one's efforts; to
get, as profit; to make acquisition of; to have accrue or happen
to one; as, to make a large profit; to make
an error; to make a loss; to make
money.
He accuseth Neptune unjustly who makes shipwreck a
second time.
Bacon.
(f) To find, as the result of calculation or
computation; to ascertain by enumeration; to find the number or
amount of, by reckoning, weighing, measurement, and the like; as,
he made the distance of; to travel over; as, the
ship makes ten knots an hour; he made the
distance in one day. (h) To put a
desired or desirable condition; to cause to thrive.
Who makes or ruins with a smile or frown.
Dryden.
2. To cause to be or become; to put into a given
state verb, or adjective; to constitute; as, to make
known; to make public; to make fast.
Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?
Ex. ii. 14.
See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh.
Ex. vii. 1.
make merry;
to make bold; to make free, etc.
3. To cause to appear to be; to constitute
subjectively; to esteem, suppose, or represent.
He is not that goose and ass that Valla would make
him.
Baker.
4. To require; to constrain; to compel; to force;
to cause; to occasion; -- followed by a noun or pronoun and
infinitive.
to of the
infinitive is usually omitted.
I will make them hear my words.
Deut. iv. 10.
They should be made to rise at their early
hour.
Locke.
5. To become; to be, or to be capable of being,
changed or fashioned into; to do the part or office of; to
furnish the material for; as, he will make a good
musician; sweet cider makes sour vinegar; wool
makes warm clothing.
And old cloak makes a new jerkin.
Shak.
6. To compose, as parts, ingredients, or materials;
to constitute; to form; to amount to.
The heaven, the air, the earth, and boundless sea,
Make but one temple for the Deity.
Waller.
7. To be engaged or concerned in.
[Obs.]
Gomez, what makest thou here, with a whole
brotherhood of city bailiffs?
Dryden.
8. To reach; to attain; to arrive at or in sight
of. \'bdAnd make the Libyan shores.\'b8
Dryden.
They that sail in the middle can make no land of
either side.
Sir T. Browne.
To make a bed, to prepare a bed for being
slept on, or to put it in order. -- To make a
card (Card Playing), to take a trick with
it. -- To make account. See under
Account, n. -- To make account
of, to esteem; to regard. -- To make
away. (a) To put out of the way; to kill; to
destroy. [Obs.]
If a child were crooked or deformed in body or mind, they
made him away.
Burton.
(b) To alienate; to transfer; to make over.
[Obs.] Waller. -- To make
believe, to pretend; to feign; to simulate. --
To make bold, to take the liberty; to
venture. -- To make the cards (Card
Playing), to shuffle the pack. -- To make
choice of, to take by way of preference; to
choose. -- To make danger, to make
experiment. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl. --
To make default (Law), to fail to
appear or answer. -- To make the doors, to
shut the door. [Obs.]
Make the doors upon a woman's wit, and it will out
at the casement.
Shak.
- To make free with. See under Free,
a. -- To make good. See under
Good. -- To make head, to make
headway. -- To make light of. See under
Light, a. -- To make little
of. (a) To belittle. (b) To
accomplish easily. -- To make love to. See
under Love, n. -- To make
meat, to cure meat in the open air. [Colloq.
Western U. S.] -- To make merry, to
feast; to be joyful or jovial. -- To make much
of, to treat with much consideration,, attention, or
fondness; to value highly. -- To make no bones.
See under Bone, n. -- To make
no difference, to have no weight or influence; to be a
matter of indifference. -- To make no doubt,
to have no doubt. -- To make no matter,
to have no weight or importance; to make no difference.
-- To make oath (Law), to swear, as to
the truth of something, in a prescribed form of law. --
To make of. (a) To understand or think
concerning; as, not to know what to make of the
news. (b) To pay attention to; to cherish;
to esteem; to account. \'bdMakes she no more
of me than of a slave.\'b8
Dryden. -- To make one's law (Old
Law), to adduce proof to clear one's self of a
charge. -- To make out. (a) To find
out; to discover; to decipher; as, to make out the
meaning of a letter. (b) To prove; to
establish; as, the plaintiff was unable to make out
his case. (c) To make complete or exact;
as, he was not able to make out the money.
-- To make over, to transfer the title of; to
convey; to alienate; as, he made over his estate in
trust or in fee. -- To make sail.
(Naut.) (a) To increase the quantity of
sail already extended. (b) To set sail. --
To make shift, to manage by expedients; as,
they made shift to do without it.
[Colloq.]. -- To make sternway,
to move with the stern foremost; to go or drift
backward. -- To make strange, to act in an
unfriendly manner or as if surprised; to treat as strange;
as, to make strange of a request or
suggestion. -- To make suit to, to
endeavor to gain the favor of; to court. -- To make
sure. See under Sure. -- To make
up. (a) To collect into a sum or mass; as,
to make up the amount of rent; to make up a
bundle or package. (b) To reconcile; to
compose; as, to make up a difference or quarrel.
(c) To supply what is wanting in; to complete;
as, a dollar is wanted to make up the stipulated
sum. (d) To compose, as from ingredients
or parts; to shape, prepare, or fabricate; as, to make
up a mass into pills; to make up a story.
He was all made up of love and charms!
Addison.
(e) To compensate; to make good; as, to make
up a loss. (f) To adjust, or to arrange
for settlement; as, to make up accounts.
(g) To dress and paint for a part, as an actor;
as, he was well made up. -- To make
up a face, to distort the face as an expression of pain
or derision. -- To make up one's mind, to
reach a mental determination; to resolve. -- To make
water. (a) (Naut.) To leak.
(b) To urinate. -- To make
way, To make one's way.
(a) To make progress; to advance. (b)
To open a passage; to clear the way. -- To make
words, to multiply words.
Make (?), v. i. 1. To
act in a certain manner; to have to do; to manage; to interfere;
to be active; -- often in the phrase to meddle or
make. [Obs.]
A scurvy, jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make.
Shak.
2. To proceed; to tend; to move; to go; as, he
made toward home; the tiger made at the
sportsmen.
to make on,
to make forth, to make about; but these
phrases are obsolete. We now say, to make at, to
make away, to make for, to make off,
to make toward, etc.
3. To tend; to contribute; to have effect; -- with
for or against; as, it makes
for his advantage.
M. Arnold.
Follow after the things which make for peace.
Rom. xiv. 19.
Considerations infinite
Do make against it.
Shak.
4. To increase; to augment; to accrue.
5. To compose verses; to write poetry; to
versify. [Archaic]
Chaucer. Tennyson.
To solace him some time, as I do when I make.
P. Plowman.
To make as if, To make as
though, to pretend that; to make show that; to
make believe (see under Make, v. t.).
Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten
before them, and fled.
Josh. viii. 15.
My lord of London maketh as though he were greatly
displeased with me.
Latimer.
-- To make at, to go toward hastily, or in a
hostile manner; to attack. -- To make away with.
(a) To carry off. (b) To transfer
or alienate; hence, to spend; to dissipate. (c)
To kill; to destroy. -- To make off, to
go away suddenly. -- To make out, to succeed;
to be able at last; to make shift; as, he made out
to reconcile the contending parties. -- To make
up, to become reconciled or friendly. -- To
make up for, to compensate for; to supply an equivalent
for. -- To make up to. (a) To
approach; as, a suspicious boat made up to
us. (b) To pay addresses to; to make love
to. -- To make up with, to become reconciled
to. [Colloq.] -- To make with,
to concur or agree with. Hooker.
Make, n. Structure, texture,
constitution of parts; construction; shape; form.
It our perfection of so frail a make
As every plot can undermine and shake?
Dryden.
On the make,bent upon making great profits;
greedy of gain. [Low, U. S.]
Make"bate` (?), n.
[Make, v. + bate a quarrel.]
One who excites contentions and quarrels.
[Obs.]
Make"-be*lief` (?), n. A
feigning to believe; make believe.
J. H. Newman.
Make"-be*lieve` (?), n. A
feigning to believe, as in the play of children; a mere pretense;
a fiction; an invention. \'bdChildlike
make-believe.\'b8
Tylor.
To forswear self-delusion and make-believe.
M. Arnold.
Make"-be*lieve`, a.Feigned;
insincere. \'bdMake-believe reverence.\'b8<--
imaginary -->
G. Eliot.
Mak"ed (?), obs. p.
p. of Make. Made.
Chaucer.
Make"-game` (?), n. An object
of ridicule; a butt.
Godwin.
Make"less, a. [See 1st Make,
and cf. Matchless, Mateless.] 1.
Matchless. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
2. Without a mate.
Shak.
Make"-peace` (-p n. A
peacemaker. [R.]
Shak.
Mak"er (m n.,
1. One who makes, forms, or molds; a manufacturer;
specifically, the Creator.
The universal Maker we may praise.
Milton.
2. (Law) The person who makes a
promissory note.
3. One who writes verses; a poet.
[Obs.]
poihth`s,
which name, as the most excellent, hath gone through other
languages. It cometh of this word poiei^n,
make; wherein, I know not whether by luck or wisdom,
we Englishmen have met well the Greeks in calling him a
maker.\'b8
Sir P. Sidney.
<-- p. 886 -->
Make"shift` (?), n. That with
which one makes shift; a temporary expedient.
James Mill.
I am not a model clergyman, only a decent
makeshift.
G. Eliot.
Make"-up` (?), n. The way in
which the parts of anything are put together; often, the way in
which an actor is dressed, painted, etc., in personating a
character.
The unthinking masses are necessarily teleological in their
mental make-up.
L. F. Ward.
Make"weight` (, n. That
which is thrown into a scale to make weight; something of little
account added to supply a deficiency or fill a gap.
\'d8Ma"ki (?), n. [F., from
native name.] (Zo\'94l.) A lemur. See
Lemur.
Mak"ing (?), n. 1. The
act of one who makes; workmanship; fabrication; construction;
as, this is cloth of your own making; the
making of peace or war was in his power.
2. Composition, or structure.
3. a poem.[Obs.]
Sir J. Davies.
4. That which establishes or places in a desirable
state or condition; the material of which something may be made;
as, early misfortune was the making of
him.
5. External appearance; from.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Mak"ing-i`ron (?), n. A tool
somewhat like a chisel with a groove in it, used by calkers of
ships to finish the seams after the oakum has been driven
in.
Mak"ing-up` (?), n. 1.
The act of bringing spirits to a certain degree of strength,
called proof.
2. The act of becoming reconciled or
friendly.
Mal- (?). A prefix in composition denoting
ill,or evil, F. male, adv., fr.
malus, bad, ill. In some words it has the form
male-, as in malediction,
malevolent. See Malice.
male- is chiefly used in cases
where the c, either alone or with other letters, is pronounced as
a separate syllable, as in malediction,
malefactor, maleficent, etc. Where this is
not the case, as in malfeasance or
male-feasance, malformation or
male-formation, etc., as also where the word to which
it is prefixed commences with a vowel, as in
maladministration, etc., the form malis to
be preferred, and is the one commonly employed.
\'d8Ma"la (?), n.; pl. of
Malum. [L.] Evils; wrongs;
offenses against right and law.
Mala in se [L.] (Law),
offenses which are such from their own nature, at common law,
irrespective of statute. -- Mala prohibita
[L.] (Law), offenses prohibited by
statute, as distinguished from mala in se, which are
offenses at common law.
Mal"a*bar` (?), n. A region in
the western part of the Peninsula of India, between the mountains
and the sea.
Malabar nut (Bot.), the seed of an
East Indian acanthaceous shrub, the Adhatoda Vasica,
sometimes used medicinally.
Mal`a*ca*tune" (?), n. See
Melocoton.
Ma*lac"ca (?), n. A town and
district upon the seacoast of the Malay Peninsula.
Malacca cane (Bot.), a cane
obtained from a species of palm of the genus Calamus
(C. Scipionum), and of a brown color, often mottled.
The plant is a native of Cochin China, Sumatra, and
Malays.
Mal"a*chite (?), n. [Fr. Gr.
malachite. Cf. Mallow.]
(Min.) Native hydrous carbonate of copper,
usually occurring in green mammillary masses with concentric
fibrous structure.
Green malachite, or malachite proper,
admits of a high polish, and is sometimes used for ornamental
work. Blue malachite, or azurite, is a related species
of a deep blue color.
Malachite green. See Emerald
green, under Green, n.
Mal`a*cis"sant (?), a. [See
Malacissation.] Softening; relaxing.
[Obs.]
Mal`a*cis*sa"tion (?), n. [L.
malacissare to make soft, Gr. The act
of making soft or supple. [Obs.]
Bacon.
\'d8Mal`a*cob*del"la (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A genus of nemertean worms, parasitic
in the gill cavity of clams and other bivalves. They have a large
posterior sucker, like that of a leech. See Illust. of
Bdellomorpha.
Mal"a*co*derm (?), n. [Gr. (Zo\'94l.) One of a
tribe of beetles (Malacodermata), with a soft and
flexible body, as the fireflies.
Mal"a*co*lite (?), n. [Gr. -lite.] (Min.) A variety
of pyroxene.
Mal`a*col"o*gist (?), n. One
versed in the science of malacology.
Mal`a*col"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. -logy: cf. F. malacologie.]
The science which relates to the structure and habits of
mollusks.
\'d8Mal`a*cop"o*da (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr. -poda.]
(Zo\'94l.) A class of air-breathing Arthropoda;
-- called also Protracheata, and
Onychophora.
Peripatus is the only known
genus. See Peripatus.
Mal`a*cop`ter*yg"i*an (?), n.
[Cf. F. malacopt\'82rygien.]
(Zo\'94l.) One of the Malacopterygii.
\'d8Mal`a*cop`te*ryg"i*i (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr. (Zo\'94l.) An order of fishes in
which the fin rays, except the anterior ray of the pectoral and
dorsal fins, are closely jointed, and not spiny. It includes the
carp, pike, salmon, shad, etc. Called also
Malacopteri.
Mal`a*cop`ter*yg"i*ous (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Belonging to the Malacopterygii.
Mal`a*cos"te*on (?), n. [NL.,
Gr. fr. (Med.) A
peculiar disease of the bones, in consequence of which they
become softened and capable of being bent without breaking.
Mal`a*cos"to*mous (?), a. [Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) Having
soft jaws without teeth, as certain fishes.
\'d8Mal`a*cos"tra*ca (?), n. pl.
[NL., from Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A subclass of Crustacea, including
Arthrostraca and Thoracostraca, or all those higher than the
Entomostraca.
Mal`a*cos"tra*can (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) One of the Malacostraca.
Mal`a*cos`tra*col"o*gy (?), n.
[Malacostracan + -logy.]
That branch of zo\'94logical science which relates to the
crustaceans; -- called also carcinology.
Mal`a*cos"tra*cous (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Belonging to the Malacostraca.
Mal`a*co*toon" (?), n.
(Bot.) See Melocoton.
\'d8Mal`a*co*zo"a (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) An extensive group of Invertebrata,
including the Mollusca, Brachiopoda, and Bryozoa. Called also
Malacozoaria.
Mal`a*co*zo"ic (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the
Malacozoa.
Mal`ad*dress" (?), n.
[Mal- + address.] Bad
address; an awkward, tactless, or offensive way of accosting one
or talking with one.
W. D. Howells.
Mal`ad*just"ment (?), n.
[Mal- + adjustment.] A bad
adjustment.
Mal`ad*min`is*tra"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + administration.]
Bad administration; bad management of any business,
especially of public affairs. [Written also
maleadministration.]
Mal`a*droit" (?), a. [F. See
Malice, and Adroit.] Of a quality
opposed to adroitness; clumsy; awkward; unskillful. --
Mal"a*droit`ly, adv. --
Mal`a*droit"ness, n.
Mal"a*dy (?), n.; pl.
Maladies (#). [F.
maladie, fr. malade ill, sick, OF. also,
malabde, fr. L. male habitus, i. e.,
ill-kept, not in good condition. See Malice, and
Habit.] 1. Any disease of the human
body; a distemper, disorder, or indisposition, proceeding from
impaired, defective, or morbid organic functions; especially, a
lingering or deep-seated disorder.
The maladies of the body may prove medicines to the
mind.
Buckminster.
2. A moral or mental defect or disorder.
Love's a malady without a cure.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Disorder; distemper; sickness; ailment; disease;
illness. See Disease.
Mal"a*ga (?), n. A city and a
province of Spain, on the Mediterranean. Hence,
Malaga grapes, Malaga raisins,
Malaga wines.
\'d8Mal`a*gash" (?), n. Same as
Malagasy.
Mal`a*gas"y (?), n. sing. & pl.
A native or natives of Madagascar; also
(sing.), the language.
\'d8Ma`laise" (?), n. [F., fr.
mal ill + aise ease.]
(Med.) An indefinite feeling of uneasiness, or of
being sick or ill at ease.
Ma*lam"ate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of malamic acid.
\'d8Ma*lam"bo (?), n.
[Pg.] A yellowish aromatic bark, used in medicine
and perfumery, said to be from the South American shrub
Croton Malambo.
Mal`am*eth"ane (?), n.
[Malamic + ethane.]
(Chem.) A white crystalline substance forming the
ethyl salt of malamic acid.
Ma*lam"ic (?), a.
[Malic + amic.]
(Chem.) Of or pertaining an acid intermediate
between malic acid and malamide, and known only by its
salts.
Ma*lam"ide (?), n.
[Malic + amide.]
(Chem.) The acid amide derived from malic acid,
as a white crystalline substance metameric with asparagine.
Mal"an*ders (?), n. pl. [F.
malandres, fr. L. malandria blisters or
pustules on the neck, especially in horses.]
(Far.) A scurfy eruption in the bend of the knee
of the fore leg of a horse. See Sallenders.
[Written also mallenders.]
Mal"a*pert (?), a. [OF.
malapert unskillful, ill-taught, ill-bred;
mal ill + apert open, adroit, intelligent,
L. apertus, p. p. of aperire to open. See
Malice, and Aperient.] Bold;
forward; impudent; saucy; pert. Shak. --
n. A malapert person.
Are you growing malapert! Will you force me to
make use of my authority ?
Dryden.
-- Mal"a*pert`ly, adv. --
Mal"a*pert`ness, n.
Mal"a*prop*ism (?), n. [From
Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Sheridan's drama, \'bd
The Rivals,\'b8 who makes amusing blunders in her use of words.
See Malapropos.] A grotesque misuse of a
word; a word so used.
Mal*ap"ro*pos` (?), a. & adv.
[F. mal \'85 propos; mal evil +
\'85 propos to the purpose.] Unseasonable
or unseasonably; unsuitable or unsuitably.
\'d8Mal*ap`te*ru"rus (?), n.
[NL., from Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A genus of African siluroid fishes,
including the electric catfishes. See Electric cat,
under Electric.
Ma"lar (?), a. [L.
mala the cheek: cf. F. malaire.]
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the region of the
cheek bone, or to the malar bone; jugal.
Ma"lar (?), n. (Anat.)
The cheek bone, which forms a part of the lower edge of the
orbit.
Ma*la"ri*a (?), n. [It., contr.
fr. malaaria bad air. See Malice, and
Air.] 1. Air infected with some noxious
substance capable of engendering disease; esp., an unhealthy
exhalation from certain soils, as marshy or wet lands, producing
fevers; miasma.
infusorian).
2. (Med.) A morbid condition produced by
exhalations from decaying vegetable matter in contact with
moisture, giving rise to fever and ague and many other symptoms
characterized by their tendency to recur at definite and usually
uniform intervals.
{ Ma*la"ri*al (?), Ma*la"ri*an
(?), Ma*la"ri*ous (?) },
a. Of or pertaining, to or infected by,
malaria.
Malarial fever (Med.), a fever
produced by malaria, and characterized by the occurrence of
chills, fever, and sweating in distinct paroxysms, At intervals
of definite and often uniform duration, in which these symptoms
are wholly absent (intermittent fever), or only
partially so (remittent fever); fever and ague; chills
and fever.
Ma`la*sha"ga*nay (?), n.
[Indian name.] (Zo\'94l.) The
fresh-water drumfish (Haploidonotus grunniens).
Mal`as*sim`i*la"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + assimilation.]
(Physiol.) (a) Imperfect digestion of
the several leading constituents of the food. (b)
An imperfect elaboration by the tissues of the materials
brought to them by the blood.
Ma"late (?), n. [L.
malum apple: cf. F. malate. See
Malic.] (Chem.) A salt of malic
acid.
{ Ma"lax (?), Ma*lax"ate
(?), } v. t. [L.
malaxare, malaxatum, cf. Gr. malaxer.] To soften by
kneading or stirring with some thinner substance.
[R.]
Mal`ax*a"tion (?), n. [L.
malaxatio: cf. F. malaxation.]
The act of softening by mixing with a thinner substance; the
formation of ingredients into a mass for pills or plasters.
[R.]
Mal"ax*a`tor (?), n. One who,
or that which, malaxates; esp., a machine for grinding, kneading,
or stirring into a pasty or doughy mass. [R.]
Ma*lay" (?), n. One of a race
of a brown or copper complexion in the Malay Peninsula and the
western islands of the Indian Archipelago.
{ Ma*lay" (?), Ma*lay"an
(?), } a. Of or pertaining to the
Malays or their country. -- n. The
Malay language.
Malay apple (Bot.), a myrtaceous
tree (Eugenia Malaccensis) common in India; also, its
applelike fruit.
Ma"la*ya"lam (?), n. The name
given to one the cultivated Dravidian languages, closely related
to the Tamil.
Yule.
\'d8Mal"brouck (?), n.
[F.] (Zo\'94l.) A West African
arboreal monkey (Cercopithecus cynosurus).
Mal*con`for*ma"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + conformation.]
Imperfect, disproportionate, or abnormal formation; ill
form; disproportion of parts.
Mal"con*tent` (?), a. [F., fr.
mal ill + content. See Malice,
Content.] discontented; uneasy; dissatisfied;
especially, dissatisfied with the government.
[Written also malecontent.]
The famous malcontent earl of Leicester.
Milner.
Mal"con*tent`, n. [F.
malcontent.] One who discontented;
especially, a discontented subject of a government; one who
express his discontent by words or overt acts.
Spenser. Berkeley.
Mal`con*tent"ed (?), a.
Malcontent. -- Mal`con*tent"ed*ly,
adv. -- Mal`con*tent"ed*ness,
n.
Mal*da"ni*an (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) Any species of marine annelids of the
genus Maldane, or family Maldanid\'91. They
have a slender, round body, and make tubes in the sand or
mud.
Male- (?). See Mal-.
Male (?), a. [L.
malus. See Malice.] Evil; wicked;
bad. [Obs.]
Marston.
Male, n. Same as Mail, a
bag. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Male, a. [F. m\'83le, OF.
masle, mascle, fr. L. masculus
male, masculine, dim. of mas a male; possibly akin to
E. man. Cf. Masculine, Marry,
v. t.] 1. Of or pertaining to the
sex that begets or procreates young, or (in a wider sense) to the
sex that produces spermatozoa, by which the ova are fertilized;
not female; as, male organs.
2. (Bot.) Capable of producing
fertilization, but not of bearing fruit; -- said of stamens and
antheridia, and of the plants, or parts of plants, which bear
them.
3. Suitable to the male sex; characteristic or
suggestive of a male; masculine; as, male
courage.
4. Consisting of males; as, a male
choir.
5. (Mech.) Adapted for entering another
corresponding piece (the female piece) which is hollow
and which it fits; as, a male gauge, for gauging the
size or shape of a hole; a male screw, etc.
Male berry (Bot.), a kind of
coffee. See Pea berry. -- Male fern
(Bot.), a fern of the genus Aspidium
(A. Filixmas), used in medicine as an anthelmintic,
esp. against the tapeworm. Aspidium marginale in
America, and A. athamanticum in South Africa, are used
as good substitutes for the male fern in medical practice. See
Female fern, under Female. --
Male rhyme, a rhyme in which only the last
syllables agree, as laid, afraid,
dismayed. See Female rhyme, under
Female. -- Male screw
(Mech.), a screw having threads upon its exterior
which enter the grooves upon the inside of a corresponding nut or
female screw. -- Male thread, the thread of a
male screw.
Male, n. 1. An animal of the
male sex.
2. (Bot.) A plant bearing only staminate
flowers.
Nale`ad*min`is*tra"tion (?), n.
Maladministration.
Ma*le"ate (?), n. A salt of
maleic acid.
Male*branch"ism (?), n. The
philosophical system of Malebranche, an eminent French
metaphysician. The fundamental doctrine of his system is that the
mind can not have knowledge of anything external to itself except
in its relation to God.
<-- p. 887 -->
Male*con`for*ma"tion (?), n.
Malconformation.
Male"con*tent` (?), a.
Malcontent.
Mal`e*di"cen*cy (?), n. [L.
maledicentia. See Maledicent.]
Evil speaking. [Obs.]
Atterbury.
Mal`e*di"cent (?), a. [L.
maledicens, p. pr. of maledicere to speak
ill; male ill + dicere to say, speak. See
Malice, and Diction.] Speaking
reproachfully; slanderous. [Obs.]
Sir E. Sandys.
Mal"e*dict (?), a. [L.
maledictus, p. p. of maledicere.]
Accursed; abominable. [R.]
Mal`e*dic"tion, n. [L.
maledictio: cf. F. mal\'82diction. See
Maledicent.] A proclaiming of evil against
some one; a cursing; imprecation; a curse or execration; --
opposed to benediction.
No malediction falls from his tongue.
Longfellow.
Syn. -- Cursing; curse; execration; imprecation;
denunciation; anathema. -- Malediction,
Curse, Imprecation, Execration.
Malediction is the most general term, denoting bitter
reproach, or wishes and predictions of evil. Curse
implies the desire or threat of evil, declared upon oath or in
the most solemn manner. Imprecation is literally the
praying down of evil upon a person. Execration is
literally a putting under the ban of excommunication, a curse
which excludes from the kingdom of God. In ordinary usage, the
last three words describe profane swearing, execration
being the strongest.
Mal`e*fac"tion (?), n. [See
Malefactor.] A crime; an offense; an evil
deed. [R.]
Shak.
Mal`e*fac"tor (?), n. [L., fr.
malefacere to do evil; male ill, evil +
facere to do. See Malice, and
Fact.] 1. An evil doer; one who
commits a crime; one subject to public prosecution and
punishment; a criminal.
2. One who does wrong by injuring another, although
not a criminal. [Obs.]
H. Brooke. Fuller.
Syn. -- Evil doer; criminal; culprit; felon; convict.
Mal`e*fac"tress (?), n. A
female malefactor.
Hawthorne.
Male*fea"sance (?), n. See
Malfeasance.
Ma*lef"ic (?), a. [L.
maleficus: cf. F. mal\'82fique. See
Malefaction.] Doing mischief; causing harm or
evil; nefarious; hurtful. [R.]
Chaucer.
Mal"e*fice (?), n. [L.
maleficium: cf. F. mal\'82fice. See
Malefactor.] An evil deed; artifice;
enchantment. [Obs.]
Ma*lef"i*cence (?), n. [L.
maleficentia. Cf. Malfeasance.]
Evil doing, esp. to others.
Ma*lef"i*cent (?), a. [See
Malefic.] Doing evil to others; harmful;
mischievous.
Mal`e*fi"cial (?), a.
Injurious.
Fuller.
Mal`e*fi"ci*ate (?), v. t. [LL.
maleficiatus, p. p. of maleficiare to
bewitch, fr. L. maleficium. See
Malefice.] To bewitch; to harm.
[Obs.]
Burton.
Mal`e*fi`ci*a"tion (?), n. A
bewitching. [Obs.]
Mal`e*fi"cience (?), n. [See
Maleficence.] The doing of evil, harm, or
mischief.
Mal`e*fi"cient (?), a. [See
Maleficent.] Doing evil, harm, or
mischief.
Male`for*ma"tion (?), n. See
Malformation.
Ma*le"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
mal\'82ique. See Malic.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid of
the ethylene series, metameric with fumaric acid and obtained by
heating malic acid.
Ma*len"gine (?), n. [OF.
malengin; L. malus bad, evil +
ingenium natural capacity. See Engine.]
Evil machination; guile; deceit. [Obs.]
Gower.
Ma"le*o (?), n. [From its
native name.] (Zo\'94l.) A bird of Celebes
(megacephalon maleo), allied to the brush turkey. It
makes mounds in which to lay its eggs.
Male-o"dor (?), n. See
Malodor.
Male*prac"tice (?), n. See
Malpractice.
Male"-spir`it*ed (?), a. Having
the spirit of a male; vigorous; courageous.
[R.]
B. Jonson.
Mal"et (?), n. [F.
mallette, dim. of malle. See Mail
a bag.] A little bag or budget.
[Obs.]
Shelton.
Male*treat" (?), v. t. See
Maltreat.
Ma*lev"o*lence (?), n. [L.
malevolentia. See Malevolent.] The
quality or state of being malevolent; evil disposition toward
another; inclination to injure others; ill will. See Synonym of
Malice.
Ma*lev"o*lent (?), a. [L.
malevolens, -entis; male ill +
volens, p. pr. of velle to be willing or
disposed, to wish. See Malice, and
Voluntary.] Wishing evil; disposed to injure
others; rejoicing in another's misfortune.
Syn. -- Ill-disposed; envious; mischievous; evil-minded;
spiteful; malicious; malignant; rancorous.
Ma*lev"o*lent*ly, adv. In a malevolent
manner.
Ma*lev"o*lous (?), a. [L.
malevolus; fr. male ill + velle
to be disposed.] Malevolent. [Obs.]
Bp. Warburton.
Mal*ex`e*cu"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + execution.] Bad
execution.
D. Webster.
Ma*le"yl (?), n.
[Maleic + -yl.]
(Chem.) A hypothetical radical derived from
maleic acid.
Mal*fea"sance (?), n. [F.
malfaisance, fr. malfaisant injurious,
doing ill; mal ill, evil + faisant doing,
p. pr. of faire to do. See Malice,
Feasible, and cf. Maleficence.]
(Law) The doing of an act which a person ought
not to do; evil conduct; an illegal deed. [Written
also malefeasance.]
Mal`for*ma"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + forniation.] Ill
formation; irregular or anomalous formation; abnormal or wrong
conformation or structure.
Mal*gra"cious (?), a. [F.
malgracieux.] Not graceful;
displeasing. [Obs.]
Gower.
Mal"gre (?), prep. See
Mauger.
Ma"lic (?), a. [L.
malum an apple: cf. F. malique.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, apples;
as, malic acid.
Malic acid, a hydroxy acid obtained as a
substance which is sirupy or crystallized with difficulty, and
has a strong but pleasant sour taste. It occurs in many fruits,
as in green apples, currants, etc. It is levorotatory or
dextrorotatory according to the temperature and concentration. An
artificial variety is a derivative of succinic acid, but has no
action on polarized light, and thus malic acid is a remarkable
case of physical isomerism.
<-- HO.CO.CH2.CH(OH).CO.OH the natural form is the L- isomer.
The synthetic is inactive presumably due simply to a racemic
mixture of isomers. -->
Mal"ice (?), n. [F.
malice, fr. L. malitia, from
malus bad, ill, evil, prob. orig., dirty, black; cf.
Gr. mala dirt. Cf.
Mauger.] 1. Enmity of heart;
malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune
to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design
of evil. \'bdNor set down aught in malice.\'b8
Shak.
Envy, hatred, and malice are three distinct
passions of the mind.
Ld. Holt.
2. (Law) Any wicked or mischievous
intention of the mind; a depraved inclination to mischief; an
intention to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a
wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton
disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness.
Malice aforethought prepense, malice previously and
deliberately entertained.
Syn. -- Spite; ill will; malevolence; grudge; pique;
bitterness; animosity; malignity; maliciousness; rancor;
virulence. See Spite. --
Malevolence, Malignity, Malignancy.
Malice is a stronger word than malevolence,
which may imply only a desire that evil may befall another, while
malice desires, and perhaps intends, to bring it
about. Malignity is intense and deepseated
malice. It implies a natural delight in hating and
wronging others. One who is malignant must be both
malevolent and malicious; but a man may be
malicious without being malignant.
Proud tyrants who maliciously destroy
And ride o'er ruins with malignant joy.
Somerville.
in some connections, malignity seems rather more
pertinently applied to a radical depravity of nature, and
malignancy to indications of this depravity, in temper
and conduct in particular instances.
Cogan.
Mal"ice, v. t. To regard with extreme
ill will. [Obs.]
Mal"i*cho (?), n. [Sp.
malhecho; mal bad + hecho deed,
L. factum. See Fact.]
Mischief. [Obs.]
Shak.
Ma*li"cious (?), a. [Of.
malicius, F. malicieux, fr. L.
malitiosus. See Malice.] 1.
Indulging or exercising malice; harboring ill will or
enmity.
I grant him bloody, . . .
Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin
That has a name.
Shak.
2. Proceeding from hatred or ill will; dictated by
malice; as, a malicious report; malicious
mischief.
3. (Law)With wicked or mischievous
intentions or motives; wrongful and done intentionally without
just cause or excuse; as, a malicious
act.
Malicious abandonment, the desertion of a wife
or husband without just cause. Burrill. --
Malicious mischief (Law), malicious
injury to the property of another; -- an offense at common law.
Wharton. -- Malicious prosecution
arrest (Law), a wanton
prosecution or arrest, by regular process in a civil or criminal
proceeding, without probable cause. Bouvier.
Syn. -- Ill-disposed; evil-minded; mischievous; envious;
malevolent; invidious; spiteful; bitter; malignant; rancorous;
malign.
-- Ma*li"cious*ly, adv. --
Ma*li"cious*ness, n.
Ma*lign" (?), a. [L.
malignus, for maligenus, i. e., of a bad
kind or nature; malus bad + the root of
genus birth, race, kind: cf. F. malin,
masc., maligne, fem. See Malice,
Gender, and cf. Benign,
Malignant.] 1. Having an evil
disposition toward others; harboring violent enmity; malevolent;
malicious; spiteful; -- opposed to benign.
Witchcraft may be by operation of malign
spirits.
Bacon.
2. Unfavorable; unpropitious; pernicious; tending
to injure; as, a malign aspect of
planets.
3. Malignant; as, a malign
ulcer. [R.]
Bacon.
Ma*lign", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Maligned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Maligning.] [Cf. L.
malignare. See Malign, a.]
To treat with malice; to show hatred toward; to abuse; to
wrong; to injure. [Obs.]
The people practice what mischiefs and villainies they will
against private men, whom they malign by stealing
their goods, or murdering them.
Spenser.
2. To speak great evil of; to traduce; to defame;
to slander; to vilify; to asperse.
To be envied and shot at; to be maligned standing,
and to be despised falling.
South.
Ma*lign", v. i. To entertain
malice. [Obs.]
{ Ma*lig"nance (?), Ma*lig"nan*cy
, } n. [See Malignant.]
1. The state or quality of being malignant; extreme
malevolence; bitter enmity; malice; as, malignancy
of heart.
2. Unfavorableness; evil nature.
The malignancy of my fate might perhaps distemner
yours.
Shak.
3. (Med.) Virulence; tendency to a fatal
issue; as, the malignancy of an ulcer or of a
fever.
4. The state of being a malignant.
Syn. -- Malice; malevolence; malignity. See
Malice.
Ma*lig"nant (?), a. [L.
malignans, -antis, p. pr. of
malignare, malignari, to do or make
maliciously. See Malign, and cf.
Benignant.] 1. Disposed to do harm,
inflict suffering, or cause distress; actuated by extreme
malevolence or enmity; virulently inimical; bent on evil;
malicious.
A malignant and a turbaned Turk.
Shak.
2. Characterized or caused by evil intentions;
pernicious. \'bdMalignant care.\'b8
Macaulay.
Some malignant power upon my life.
Shak.
Something deleterious and malignant as his
touch.
Hawthorne.
3. (Med.) Tending to produce death;
threatening a fatal issue; virulent; as, malignant
diphtheria.
Malignant pustule (Med.), a very
contagious disease, transmitted to man from animals,
characterized by the formation, at the point of reception of the
virus, of a vesicle or pustule which first enlarges and then
breaks down into an unhealthy ulcer. It is marked by profound
exhaustion and usually fatal. Called also
charbon, and sometimes, improperly,
anthrax.
Ma*lig"nant (?), n. 1.
A man of extrems enmity or evil intentions.
Hooker.
2. (Eng. Hist.) One of the adherents of
Charles L. or Charles LL.; -- so called by the opposite
party.
Ma*lig"nant*ly, adv.In a malignant
manner.
Ma*lign"er (?), n. One who
maligns.
Ma*lig"ni*fy (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Malignified
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Malignifying
(?).] [L. malignus malign +
-fy.] To make malign or malignant.
[R.] \'bdA strong faith malignified.\'b8
Southey.
Ma*lig"ni*ty (?), n. [F.
malignit\'82, L. malignitas.]
1. The state or quality of being malignant;
disposition to do evil; virulent enmity; malignancy; malice;
spite.
2. Virulence; deadly quality.
His physicians discerned an invincible malignity in
his disease.
Hayward.
3. Extreme evilness of nature or influence;
perniciousness; heinousness; as, the malignity of
fraud. [R.]
Syn. -- See Malice.
Ma*lign"ly (?), adv. In a
malign manner; with malignity.
Ma*lin"ger (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. MAlingered
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Malingering.] To act the part of a
malingerer; to feign illness or inability.
Ma*lin"ger*er (?), n. [F.
malingre sickly, weakly, prob. from mal ill
+ OF. heingre, haingre, thin, lean, infirm,
fr. L. aeger.] In the army, a soldier who
feigns himself sick, or who induces or protracts an illness, in
order to avoid doing his duty; hence, in general, one who shirks
his duty by pretending illness or inability.
Ma*lin"ger*y (?), n. The spirit
or practices of a malingerer; malingering.
Mal"i*son (?), n. [OF.
maleicon, L. maledictio. See
Malediction, and cf. Benison.]
Malediction; curse; execration. [Poetic]
God's malison on his head who this gainsays.
Sir W. Scott.
Mal"kin (?), n. [Dim. of
Maud, the proper name. Cf. Grimalkin.]
[Written also maukin.] 1.
Originally, a kitchenmaid; a slattern.
Chaucer.
2. A mop made of clouts, used by the kitchen
servant.
3. A scarecrow.[Prov. Eng.]
4. (Mil.) A mop or sponge attached to a
jointed staff for swabbing out a cannon.
Mall (?), n. [Written also
maul.] [OE. malle, F.
mail, L. malleus. Cf.
Malleus.] 1. A large heavy wooden
beetle; a mallet for driving anything with force; a maul.
Addison.
2. A heavy blow. [Obs.]
Spenser.
3. An old game played with malls or
mallets and balls. See Pall-mall.
Cotton.
4. A place where the game of mall was
played. Hence: A public walk; a level shaded walk.
Part of the area was laid out in gravel walks, and planted
with elms; and these convenient and frequented walks obtained the
name of the City Mall.
Southey.
Mall (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Malled (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Malling.]
[Cf. OF. mailler. See Mall beetle, and
cf. Malleate.] To beat with a mall; to beat
with something heavy; to bruise; to maul.
Mall (?), n. [LL.
mallum a public assembly; cf. OHG. mahal
assembly, transaction; akin to AS. m\'91,
me, assembly, m to speak, Goth.
mapl market place.] Formerly, among
Teutonic nations, a meeting of the notables of a state for the
transaction of public business, such meeting being a modification
of the ancient popular assembly. Hence: (a) A
court of justice. (b) A place where justice
is administered. (c) A place where public
meetings are held.
Councils, which had been as frequent as diets or
malls, ceased.
Milman.
<-- 2. See MW10] (a) A public access area containing a promenade
for pedestrians. (b) The paved or grassy strip between two
roadways. (c) A shopping area with multiple shops and a concourse
for predominantly or exclusively pedestrian use; inn cities the
concourse is usually a city street which may be temporarily or
permamently closed to motor vehicles; in suburban areas, a mall
is often located on a convenient highway, may be large, contained
in one building or multiple buildings connected by (usually
covered) walkways. -->
Mal"lard (?), n. [F.
malari,fr. m\'83le male + -art
=-ard. See Male, a., and
-ard.] 1. (Zo\'94l.) A
drake; the male of Anas boschas.
2. (Zo\'94l.) A large wild duck
(Anas boschas) inhabiting both America and Europe. The
domestic duck has descended from this species. Called also
greenhead.
Mal"le*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. [CF.
F. mall\'82abilit\'82.] The quality or
state of being malleable; -- opposed to friability and
brittleness.
Locke.
Mal"le*a*ble (?), a. [F.
mall\'82able, fr. LL. malleare to hammer.
See Malleate.] Capable of being extended or
shaped by beating with a hammer, or by the pressure of rollers;
-- applied to metals.
Malleable iron, iron that is capable of
extension or of being shaped under the hammer; decarbonized cast
iron. See under Iron. -- Malleable iron
castings, articles cast from pig iron and made
malleable by heating then for several days in the presence of
some substance, as hematite, which deprives the cast iron of some
of its carbon.
Mal"le*a*ble*ize (?), v. t. To
make malleable.
Mal"le*a*ble*ness, n. Quality of being
malleable.
Mal"le*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Pertaining to the malleus.
Mal"le*ate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Malleated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Malleating
(?).] [L. malleatus
hammered, fr. malleus a hammer. See Mall,
v. t.] To hammer; to beat into a plate or
leaf.
Mal`le*a"tion (?), n. [LL.
malleatio: cf. OF. mall\'82ation.]
The act or process of beating into a plate, sheet, or leaf,
as a metal; extension by beating.
<-- p. 888 -->
Mal"le*cho (?), n. Same as
Malicho.
Mal*lee" bird` (?). (Zo\'94l.)
[From native name.] The leipoa. See
Leipoa.
{ Mal"le*mock (?), Mal"le*moke
(?), } n. (Zo\'94l.)
See Mollemoke.
Mal"len*ders (?), n. pl.
(Far.) Same as Malanders.
Mal*le"o*lar (?), a. [See
Malleolus.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the malleolus; in the region of the malleoli of the
ankle joint.
\'d8Mal*le"*o*lus (?), n.; pl.
Malleoli (#). [L., dim. of
malleus hammer.] 1. (Anat.)
A projection at the distal end of each bone of the leg at
the ankle joint. The malleolus of the tibia is the internal
projection, that of the fibula the external.
2. \'bd A layer, \'b8 a shoot partly buried in the
ground, and there cut halfway through.
Mal"let (?), n. [F.
maillet, dim. of mail. See Mall a
beetle.] A small maul with a short handle, -- used
esp. for driving a tool, as a chisel or the like; also, a light
beetle with a long handle, -- used in playing croquet.
\'d8Mal"le*us (?), n.; pl.
Mallei (#). [L., hammer. See
Mall a beetle.] 1. (Anat.)
The outermost of the three small auditory bones, ossicles;
the hammer. It is attached to the tympanic membrane by a long
process, the handle or manubrium. See Illust. of
Far.
2. (Zo\'94l.) One of the hard lateral
pieces of the mastax of Rotifera. See Mastax.
3. (Zo\'94l.) A genus of bivalve shells;
the hammer shell.
\'d8Mal*loph"a*ga (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) An extensive group of insects which
are parasitic on birds and mammals, and feed on the feathers and
hair; -- called also bird lice. See Bird
louse, under Bird.
\'d8Mal*lo"tus (?), n. [NL., fr
Gr. (Zo\'94l.) A genus of
small Arctic fishes. One American species, the capelin
(Mallotus villosus), is extensively used as bait for
cod.
{ Mal"low (?), Mal"lows
(?), } n. [OE. malwe,
AS. mealwe, fr. L. malva, akin to Gr.
mala`chh; cf. mala`ssein to soften,
malako`s soft. Named either from its softening or
relaxing properties, or from its soft downy leaves. Cf.
Mauve, Malachite.] (Bot.)
A genus of plants (Malva) having mucilaginous
qualities. See Malvaceous.
M.
sylvestris) are used in medicine. The dwarf mallow (M.
rotundifolia) is a common weed, and its flattened,
dick-shaped fruits are called cheeses by children.
Tree mallow (M. Mauritiana and Lavatera
arborea), musk mallow (M. moschata), rose mallow
or hollyhock, and curled mallow (M. crispa), are less
commonly seen.
Indian mallow. See Abutilon. --
Jew's mallow, a plant (Corchorus
olitorius) used as a pot herb by the Jews of Egypt and
Syria. -- Marsh mallow. See under
Marsh.
Mal"low*wort` (?), n.
(Bot.) Any plant of the order
Malvace\'91.
{ Malm (?), Malm"brick`
(?), } n. [Cf. AS.
mealm sand.] A kind of brick of a light
brown or yellowish color, made of sand, clay, and chalk.
Mal"ma (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
A spotted trout (Salvelinus malma), inhabiting
Northern America, west of the Rocky Mountains; -- called also
Dolly Varden trout, bull
trout, red-spotted trout, and
golet.
<-- Insert: Illustr. of Malma (Salvelinus malma) -->
\'d8Mal"mag (?), n. [F., from
native name in Madagascar.] (Zo\'94l.) The
tarsius, or spectral lemur.
Malm"sey (?), n. [OE.
malvesie, F. malvoisie, It.
malvasia, malavagia, fr.
Malvasia, or Napoli di Malvasia, in the
Morea.] A kind of sweet wine from Crete, the Canary
Islands, etc.
Shak.
Mal`nu*tri"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + nutrition.]
(Physiol.) Faulty or imperfect nutrition.
Mal*ob`ser*va"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + observation.]
Erroneous observation.
J. S Mill.
Mal*o"dor (?), n. An Offensive
to the sense of smell; ill-smelling. --
Mal*o"dor*ous*ness. n.
Carlyle.
Mal"o*nate (?), a.
(Chem.) At salt of malonic acid.
Ma*lon"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, an acid produced artifically
as a white crystalline substance, CH2.(CO2H)2,
and so called because obtained by the oxidation of
malic acid.<-- (Org. Chem.) a dicarboxylic acid
-->
Mal"o*nyl (?), n.
[Malonic + -yl.]
(Chem.) A hydrocarbon radical,
CH2.(CO)2, from malonic acid.
<-- divalent, a diacyl radical -->
\'d8Mal*pi"ghi*a (?), n. [NL.
See Malpighian.] (Bot.) A genus of
tropical American shrubs with opposite leaves and small white or
reddish flowers. The drupes of Malpighia urens are
eaten under the name of Barbadoes cherries.
Mal*pi`ghi*a"ceous (?), a.
(Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a
natural order of tropical trees and shrubs
(Malpighiace\'91), some of them climbing plants, and
their stems forming many of the curious lianes of South American
forests.
Mal*pi"ghi*an (?), a.
(Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or discovered by,
Marcello Malpighi, an Italian anatomist of the 17th
century.
Malhighian capsules , the globular dilatations, containing
the glomeruli or Malpighian tufts, at the extremities of the
urinary tubules of the kidney. Malpighian corpuscles of
the spleen, masses of adenoid tissue connected with
branches of the splenic artery.
Mal`po*si"tion (?), n.
[Mal- + position.] A wrong
position.
Mal*prac"tice (?), n.
[Mal- + practice.] Evil
practice; illegal or immoral conduct; practice contrary to
established rules; specifically, the treatment of a case by a
surgeon or physician in a manner which is contrary to accepted
rules and productive of unfavorable results.
[Written also malepractice.]
Malt (?), n. [AS.
mealt; akin to D. mout, G. malz,
Icel., Sw., & Dan. malt, and E. melt.
Melt.] Barley or other grain,
steeped in water and dried in a kiln, thus forcing germination
until the saccharine principle has been evolved. It is used in
brewing and in the distillation of whisky.
Malt, a. Relating to, containing, or
made with, malt.
Malt liquor, an alcoholic liquor, as beer,
ale, porter, etc., prepared by fermenting an infusion of
malt. -- Malt dust, fine particles of malt,
or of the grain used in making malt; -used as a fertilizer. \'bd
Malt dust consists chiefly of the infant radicle
separated from the grain.\'b8 Sir H. Davy. --
Malt floor, a floor for drying malt. --
Malt house, Malthouse,
a house in which malt is made. -- Malt kiln,
a heated chamber for drying malt.
Malt, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Malted: p. pr. & vb. n.
Malting.] To make into malt; as, to
malt barley.
Malt, v. i. To become malt; also, to
make grain into malt.
Mortimer.
Mal"ta*lent (?), n. [F. See
Malice, and Talent.] Ill will;
malice. [Obs.]
Rom. of R. Spenser.
Mal*tese" (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Malta or to its inhabitants. --
n. sing. & pl. A native or inhabitant of
Malta; the people of Malta.
Maltese cat (Zo\'94l.), a
mouse-colored variety of the domestic cat. -- Maltese
cross. See Illust. 5, of Cross.
-- Maltese dog (Zo\'94l.), a breed of
small terriers, having long silky white hair. The breed
originated in Malta.
\'d8Mal"tha (?), n. [L., fr.
Gr. 1. A variety of bitumen, viscid and
tenacious, like pitch, unctuous to the touch, and exhaling a
bituminous odor.
2. Mortar. [Obs.]
Holland.
Mal*thu"sian (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the political economist, the Rev. T. R.
Malthus, or conforming to his views; as,
Malthusian theories.
Ma*thu"sian, n. A follower of
Malthus.
Mal*thu"sian*ism (?), n. The
system of Malthusian doctrines relating to population.
{ Malt"in (?), Malt"ine
(?), } n. (Physiol. Chem.)
The fermentative principle of malt; malt diastase; also, a
name given to various medicinal preparations made from or
containing malt.
Malt"ing (?), n. The process of
making, or of becoming malt.
Malt"man (?), n.; pl.
Maltmen (. A man whose
occupation is to make malt.
Mal*ton"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from,
maltose; specif., designating an acid called also
gluconic or dextronic acid.
See Gluconic.
Malt"ose` (?), n. [From
Malt.] (Physiol. Chem.) A
crystalline sugar formed from starch by the action of distance of
malt, and the amylolytic ferment of saliva and pancreatic juice.
It resembles dextrose, but rotates the plane of polarized light
further to the right and possesses a lower cupric oxide reducing
power.
Mal*treat" (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Maltreated; p.
pr. & vb. n. Maltreating.]
[Mal- + treat: cf. F.
maltraiter.] To treat ill; to abuse; to
treat roughly.
Mal*trea"ment (?), n.; [Cf. F.
maltraitement.] Ill treatment; ill usage;
abuse.
Malt"ster (?), n. A
maltman.
Swift.
Malt"worm` (?), n. A
tippler. [R.]
Shak.
Malt"y (?), a. Consisting, or
like, malt.
Dickens.
\'d8Ma"lum (?), n.; pl.
Mala (#). [L.] An evil.
See Mala.
Mal*va"ceous (?), a. [L.
malvaceus, from malva mallows. See
Mallow.] (Bot.) Pertaining to, or
resembling, a natural order of plants (Malvace\'91),
of which the mallow is the type. The cotton plant, hollyhock, and
abutilon are of this order, and the baobab and the silk-cotton
trees are now referred to it.
Mal`ver*sa"tion (?), n. [F.,
fr. malverser to be corrupt in office, fr. L.
male ill + versari to move about, to occupy
one's self, vertere to turn. See Malice, and
Verse.] Evil conduct; fraudulent practices;
misbehavior, corruption, or extortion in office.
Mal"ve*sie (?), n. Malmsey
wine. See Malmsey. \'bd A jub of
malvesye.\'b8
Chaucer.
Man (?), n. [Abbrev. fr.
mamma.] Mamma.
Ma*ma" (?), n. See
Mamma.
Mam"a*luke (?), n. Same as
Mameluke.
\'d8Mam"e*lon (?), n.
[F.] A rounded hillock; a rounded elevation or
protuberance.
Westmin. Rev.
\'d8Mam`e*lu"co (?), n.
[Pg.] A child born of a white father and Indian
mother. [S. Amer.]
Mam"e*luke (?), n. [F.
mamelouk, cf. Sp. mameluco, It.
mammalucco; all fr. Ar. maml a
purchased slave or captive; lit., possessed or in one's power, p.
p. of malaka to possesses.] One of a body
of mounted soldiers recruited from slaves converted to
Mohammedanism, who, during several centuries, had more or less
control of the government of Egypt, until exterminated or
dispersed by Mehemet Ali in 1811.
Mam"il*la`ted (?), a. See
Mammillated.
Mam*ma" (?), n. [Reduplicated
from the infantine word ma, influenced in spelling by
L. mamma.] Mother; -- word of tenderness
and familiarity. [Written also
mama.]
Tell tales papa and mamma.
Swift.
Mam"ma (?), n.; pl.
Mamm\'91 (#). [L. mamma
breast.] (Anat.) A glandular organ for
secreting milk, characteristic of all mammals, but usually
rudimentary in the male; a mammary gland; a breast; under;
bag.
Mam"mal (?), n.; pl.
Mammals (#). [L.
mammalis belonging to the breast, fr. mamma
the breast or pap: cf. F. mammal.]
(Zo\'94l.) One of the Mammalia.
Age of mammals. See under Age,
n., 8.
\'d8Mam*ma"li*a (?), n. pl.
[NL., from L. mammalis. See
Mammal.] (Zo\'94l.) The highest
class of Vertebrata. The young are nourished for a time by milk,
or an analogous fluid, secreted by the mammary glands of the
mother.
Placentalia. This subclass embraces all the
higher orders, including man. In these the fetus is attached to
the uterus by a placenta.
II. Marsupialia. In these no placenta is formed,
and the young, which are born at an early state of development,
are carried for a time attached to the teats, and usually
protected by a marsupial pouch. The opossum, kangaroo, wombat,
and koala are examples.
III. Monotremata. In this group, which includes
the genera Echidna and Ornithorhynchus, the
female lays large eggs resembling those of a bird or lizard, and
the young, which are hatched like those of birds, are nourished
by a watery secretion from the imperfectly developed mamm\'91.
Mam*ma"li*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the Mammalia or mammals.
Mam`ma*lif"er*ous (?), a.
[Mammal + -ferous.]
(Geol.) Containing mammalian remains; -- said of
certain strata.
Mam`ma*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to mammalogy.
Mam*mal"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
mammalogiste.] One versed in
mammalogy.
Mam*mal"o*gy (?), n.
[Mamma breast + -logy: cf. f.
mammalogie.] The science which relates to
mammals or the Mammalia. See Mammalia.
Mam"ma*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
mammaire.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the mamm\'91 or breasts; as, the
mammary arteries and veins.
Mam*mee" (?), n. [Haytian
mamey.] (Bot.) A fruit tree of
tropical America, belonging to the genus Mammea
(M. Americana); also, its fruit. The latter is large,
covered with a thick, tough ring, and contains a bright yellow
pulp of a pleasant taste and fragrant scent. It is often called
mammee apple.
Mam"mer (?), v. i. [Cf. G.
memme coward, poltroon.] To hesitate; to
mutter doubtfully. [Obs.]
Mam"met (?), n. [See
Mawmet.] An idol; a puppet; a doll.
[Obs.]
Selden. Shak.
Mam"met*ry (?), n. See
Mawmetry. [Obs.]
Mam"mi*fer (?), n. [NL. See
Mammiferous.] (Zo\'94l.) A mammal.
See Mammalia.
Mam*mif"er*ous (?), a.
[Mamma breast + -ferous: cf. F.
mammif\'8are.] Having breasts; of,
pertaining to, or derived from, the Mammalia.
Mam"mi*form (?), a.
[Mamma breast + -form: cf. F.
mammiforme.] Having the form of a mamma
(breast) or mamm\'91.
\'d8Mam*mil"la (?), n.; pl.
Mammil\'91 (#). [L., dim. of
mamma a breast.] (Anat.) The
nipple.
Mam"mil*la*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
mammilaire. See Mammilla.] 1.
Of or pertaining to the mammilla, or nipple, or to the
breast; resembling a mammilla; mammilloid.
2. (Min.) Composed of convex convex
concretions, somewhat resembling the breasts in form; studded
with small mammiform protuberances.
{ Mam"mil*late (?),
Mam"mil*la`ted (?), } a.
[See Mammilla.] 1. Having small
nipples, or small protuberances like nipples or mamm\'91.
2. (Zo\'94l.) Bounded like a nipple; --
said of the apex of some shells.
Mam*mil"li*form (?), a.
[Mammil + -form.]
Having the form of a mammilla.
Mam"mil*loid (?), a.
[Mammilla + -oid.] Like a
mammilla or nipple; mammilliform.
Mam"mock (?), n. [Ir. & Gael.
mam a round hill + -ock.] A
shapeless piece; a fragment. [Obs.]
Mam"mock, v. t. To tear to pieces.
[Obs.]
Milton.
Mam"mo*dis (?), n. [F.
mamoudis, fr. Hind. mahm a
muslin.] Coarse plain India muslins.
Mam*mol"o*gy (?), n.
[Mamma + -logy.] Mastology.
See Mammalogy.
Mam"mon (?), n. [L.
mammona, Gr. mam;
cf. Heb. matm a hiding place, subterranean
storehouse, treasury, fr. t\'beman to hide.]
Riches; wealth; the god of riches; riches,
personified.
Ye can not serve God and Mammon.
Matt. vi. 24.
Mam"mon*ish, a. Actuated or prompted by
a devotion to money getting or the service of Mammon.
Carlyle.
Mam"mon*ism (?), n. Devotion to
the pursuit of wealth; worldliness.
Carlyle.
Mam"mon*ist, n. A mammonite.
Mam"mon*ite (?), n. One devoted
to the acquisition of wealth or the service of Mammon.
C. Kingsley.
Mam`mon*i*za"tion (?), n. The
process of making mammonish; the state of being under the
influence of mammonism.
Mam"mon*ize (?), v. t. To make
mammonish.
Mam*mose" (?), a. [L.
mammosus having large breasts, mamma
breast.] (Bot.) Having the form of the
breast; breast-shaped.
<-- p. 889 -->
Mam"moth (?), n. [Russ.
m\'83mont, m\'a0mant, fr. Tartar
mamma the earth. Certain Tartar races, the Tungooses
and Yakoots, believed that the mammoth worked its way in the
earth like a mole.] (Zo\'94l.) An extinct,
hairy, maned elephant (Elephas primigenius), of
enormous size, remains of which are found in the northern parts
of both continents. The last of the race, in Europe, were coeval
with prehistoric man.
Mam"moth (?), a. Resembling the
mammoth in size; very large; gigantic; as, a mammoth
ox.
Mam"mo*thrept (?), n. [Gr. A child brought up
by its grandmother; a spoiled child. [R.]
O, you are a more mammothrept in judgment.
B. Jonson.
Mam"my (?), n.; pl.
Mammies (. A child's name for
mamma, mother.
\'d8Mam"zer (?), n. [Heb.
m\'a0mz.] A person born of relations
between whom marriage was forbidden by the Mosaic law; a
bastard. Deut. xxiii. 2 (Douay version).
Man (?), n.; pl. Men
(#). [AS. mann, man,
monn, mon; akin to OS., D., & OHG.
man, G. mann, Icel. ma,
for mannr, Dan. Mand, Sw. man,
Goth. manna, Skr. manu, manus,
and perh. to Skr. man to think, and E.
mind. Minx a pert girl.]
1. A human being; -- opposed
tobeast.
These men went about wide, and man found
they none,
But fair country, and wild beast many [a] one.
R. of Glouc.
The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells
to him as it doth to me.
Shak.
<--" 'Tain't a fit night out for man nor beast! " [W.C. Fields]
-->
2. Especially: An adult male person; a grown-up
male person, as distinguished from a woman or a child.
When I became a man, I put away childish
things.
I Cor. xiii. 11.
Ceneus, a woman once, and once a man.
Dryden.
3. The human race; mankind.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness, and let them have dominion.
Gen. i. 26.
The proper study of mankind is man.
Pope.
4. The male portion of the human race.
Woman has, in general, much stronger propensity than
man to the discharge of parental duties.
Cowper.
5. One possessing in a high degree the distinctive
qualities of manhood; one having manly excellence of any
kind.
Shak.
This was the noblest Roman of them all . . . the elements
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world \'bdThis was a man!
Shak.
6. An adult male servant; also, a vassal; a
subject.
Like master, like man.
Old Proverb.
The vassal, or tenant, kneeling, ungirt, uncovered, and
holding up his hands between those of his lord, professed that he
did become his man from that day forth, of life, limb,
and earthly honor.
Blackstone.
7. A term of familiar address often implying on the
part of the speaker some degree of authority, impatience, or
haste; as, Come, man, we 've no time to lose !
8. A married man; a husband; -- correlative to
wife.
I pronounce that they are man and wife.
Book of Com. Prayer.
every wife ought to answer for her man.
Addison.
9. One, or any one, indefinitely; -- a modified
survival of the Saxon use of man, or mon,
as an indefinite pronoun.
A man can not make him laugh.
Shak.
A man would expect to find some antiquities; but
all they have to show of this nature is an old rostrum of a Roman
ship.
Addison.
10. One of the piece with which certain games, as
chess or draughts, are played.
Man is often used as a prefix in
composition, or as a separate adjective, its sense being usually
self-explaining; as, man child, man eater
or maneater, man-eating, man
hater or manhater, man-hating,
manhunter, man-hunting,
mankiller, man-killing, man
midwife, man pleaser, man servant,
man-shaped, manslayer,
manstealer, man-stealing,
manthief, man worship, etc.
Man is also used as a suffix to denote a person of the
male sex having a business which pertains to the thing spoken of
in the qualifying part of the compound; ashman,
butterman, laundryman,
lumberman, milkman, fireman,
showman, waterman, woodman.
Where the combination is not familiar, or where some specific
meaning of the compound is to be avoided, man is used
as a separate substantive in the foregoing sense; as, apple
man, cloth man, coal man,
hardware man, wood man (as distinguished
from woodman).
Man ape (Zo\'94l.), a anthropoid
ape, as the gorilla. -- Man at arms, a
designation of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries for a
soldier fully armed. -- Man engine, a
mechanical lift for raising or lowering people through
considerable distances; specifically (Mining), a
contrivance by which miners ascend or descend in a shaft. It
consists of a series of landings in the shaft and an equal number
of shelves on a vertical rod which has an up and down motion
equal to the distance between the successive landings. A man
steps from a landing to a shelf and is lifted or lowered to the
next landing, upon which he them steps, and so on, traveling by
successive stages. -- Man Friday, a person
wholly subservient to the will of another, like Robinson Crusoe's
servant Friday. -- Man of straw, a puppet;
one who is controlled by others; also, one who is not responsible
pecuniarily. -- Man-of-the earth
(Bot.), a twining plant (Ipom\'d2a
pandurata) with leaves and flowers much like those of the
morning-glory, but having an immense tuberous farinaceous
root. -- Man of war. (a) A warrior;
a soldier. Shak. (b) (Naut.)
See in the Vocabulary. -- To be one's own
man, to have command of one's self; not to be subject
to another.
Man (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Manned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Manning.] 1. To
supply with men; to furnish with a sufficient force or complement
of men, as for management, service, defense, or the like; to
guard; as, to man a ship, boat, or fort.
See how the surly Warwick mans the wall !
Shak.
They man their boats, and all their young men
arm.
Waller.
2. To furnish with strength for action; to prepare
for efficiency; to fortify. \'bdTheodosius having
manned his soul with proper reflections.\'b8
Addison.
3. To tame, as a hawk. [R.]
Shak.
4. To furnish with a servants.
[Obs.]
Shak.
5. To wait on as a manservant.
[Obs.]
Shak.
To man a yard (Naut.), to send men
upon a yard, as for furling or reefing a sail. -- To
man the yards (Naut.), to station men on the
yards as a salute or mark of respect.
Man"a*ble (?), a.
Marriageable.[Obs.]
Man"ace (?), n. & v. Same as
Menace. [Obs.]
Man"a*cle (?), n. [OE.
manicle, OF. manicle, F. manicle
sort glove, manacle, L. manicula a little hand, dim.
of manus hand; cf. L. manica sleeve,
manacle, fr.manus. See Manual.] A
handcuff; a shackle for the hand or wrist; -- usually in the
plural.
Doctrine unto fools is as fetters on the feet, and like
manacles on the right hand.
Ecclus. xxi. 19.
Man"a*cle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Manacled (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Manacling (?).] To
put handcuffs or other fastening upon, for confining the hands;
to shackle; to confine; to restrain from the use of the limbs or
natural powers.
Is it thus you use this monarch, to manacle and
shackle him hand and foot ?
Arbuthnot.
Man"age (?), n. [F.
man\'8age, It. maneggio, fr.
maneggiare to manage, fr. L.manushand.
Perhaps somewhat influenced by F. m\'82nage
housekeeping, OF. mesnage, akin to E.
mansion. See Manual, and cf.
Manege.] The handling or government of
anything, but esp. of a horse; management; administration. See
Manege. [Obs.]
Young men, in the conduct and manage of actions,
embrace more than they can hold.
Bacon.
Down, down I come; like glistering Pha\'89thon
Wanting the manage of unruly jades.
Shak.
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl.
Shak.
manege; in its more
general meaning, by management.
Man"age (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Managed
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Managing
(?).] [From Manage,
n.] 1. To have under control and
direction; to conduct; to guide; to administer; to treat; to
handle.
Long tubes are cumbersome, and scarce to be easily
managed.
Sir I. Newton.
What wars Imanage, and what wreaths I gain.
Prior.
2. Hence: Esp., to guide by careful or delicate
treatment; to wield with address; to make subservient by artful
conduct; to bring around cunningly to one's plans.
It was so much his interest to manage his
Protestant subjects.
Addison.
It was not her humor to manage those over whom she
had gained an ascendant.
Bp. Hurd.
3. To train in the manege, as a horse; to exercise
in graceful or artful action.
4. To treat with care; to husband.
Dryden.
5. To bring about; to contrive.
Shak.
Syn. -- To direct; govern; control; wield; order; contrive;
concert; conduct; transact.
Man"age, v. i. To direct affairs; to
carry on business or affairs; to administer.
Leave them to manage for thee.
Dryden.
Man`age*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
state or quality of being manageable; manageableness.
Man"age*a*ble (?), a. Such as
can be managed or used; suffering control; governable; tractable;
subservient; as, a manageable horse.
Syn. -- Governable; tractable; controllable; docile.
-- Man"age*a*ble*ness, n. --
Man"age*a*bly, adv.
Man"age*less, a.
Unmanageable.[R.]
Man"age*ment (?), n. [From
Manage, v.] 1. The act or
art of managing; the manner of treating, directing, carrying on,
or using, for a purpose; conduct; administration; guidance;
control; as, the management of a family or of a
farm; the management of state affairs.
\'bdThe management of the voice.\'b8
E. Porter.
2. Business dealing; negotiation;
arrangement.
He had great managements with ecclesiastics.
Addison.
3. Judicious use of means to accomplish an end;
conduct directed by art or address; skillful treatment; cunning
practice; -- often in a bad sense.
Mark with what management their tribes divide
Some stick to you, and some to t'other side.
Dryden.
4. The collective body of those who manage or
direct any enterprise or interest; the board of managers.
Syn. -- Conduct; administration; government; direction;
guidance; care; charge; contrivance; intrigue.
Man"a*ger (?), n. 1.
One who manages; a conductor or director; as, the
manager of a theater.
A skillful manager of the rabble.
South.
2. A person who conducts business or household
affairs with economy and frugality; a good economist.
A prince of great aspiring thoughts; in the main, a
manager of his treasure.
Sir W. Temple.
3. A contriver; an intriguer.
Shak.
Man`a*ge"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to management or a manager; as,
managerial qualities.
\'bdManagerial responsibility.\'b8
C. Bront\'82.
Man"a*ger*ship (?), n. The
office or position of a manager.
Man"age*ry (?), n. [Cf. OF.
menagerie, mesnagerie. See Manage,
n., and cf. Menagerie.] 1.
Management; manner of using; conduct; direction.
2. Husbandry; economy; frugality.
Bp. Burnet.
Man"a*kin (?), n. [Cf. F. & G.
manakin; prob. the native name.]
(Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous small birds
belonging to Pipra, Manacus, and other
genera of the family Piprid\'91. They are mostly
natives of Central and South America. some are bright-colored,
and others have the wings and tail curiously ornamented. The name
is sometimes applied to related birds of other families.
Man"a*kin, n. A dwarf. See
Manikin.
Shak.
Man`a*tee" (?), n. [Sp.
manat\'a1, from the native name in Hayti. Cf.
Lamantin.] (Zo\'94l.) Any species
of Trichechus, a genus of sirenians; -- called
alsosea cow. [Written also
manaty, manati.]
Trichechus Senegalensis)
inhabits the west coast of Africa; another (T.
Americanus) inhabits the east coast of South America, and
the West-Indies. The Florida manatee (T. latirostris)
is by some considered a distinct species, by others it is thought
to be a variety of T. Americanus. It sometimes becomes
fifteen feet or more in length, and lives both in fresh and salt
water. It is hunted for its oil and flesh.
Ma*na"tion (?),
n.[L.manatio, fr. manare to
flow.] The act of issuing or flowing out.
[Obs.]
Man"bote` (?), n. [AS.
man man, vassal + b
recompense.] (Anglo-Saxon Law) A sum paid
to a lord as a pecuniary compensation for killing his man (that
is, his vassal, servant, or tenant).
Spelman.
Man"ca (?), n. [LL.]
See Mancus.
Manche (?), n. [Also
maunch.] [F. manche, fr. L.
manica. See Manacle.] A
sleeve. [Obs.]
Man"chet (?), n. Fine white
bread; a loaf of fine bread. [Archaic]
Bacon. Tennyson.
Man`chi*neel" (?), n. [Sp.
manzanillo, fr. manzana an apple, fr. L.
malum Matianum a kind of apple. So called from its
apple-like fruit.] (Bot.) A euphorbiaceous
tree (Hippomane Mancinella) of tropical America,
having a poisonous and blistering milky juice, and poisonous
acrid fruit somewhat resembling an apple.
Bastard manchineel, a tree (Cameraria
latifolia) of the East Indies, having similar poisonous
properties. Lindley.
Man*chu" (?), a. [Written also
Manchoo, Mantchoo, etc.] Of or
pertaining to Manchuria or its inhabitants. --
n. A native or inhabitant of Manchuria;
also, the language spoken by the Manchus.
Man"ci*pate (?), v. t. [L.
mancipatus, p. p. of mancipare to sell. Cf.
Emancipate.] To enslave; to bind; to
restrict. [Obs.]
Sir M. Hale.
Man`ci*pa"tion (?), n. [L.
mancipatio a transfer.] Slavery;
involuntary servitude. [Obs.]
Johnson.
Man"ci*ple (?), n. [From OF.
mancipe slave, servant (with l inserted, as
in participle), fr. L. mancipium. See
Mancipate.] A steward; a purveyor,
particularly of a college or Inn of Court.
Chaucer.
Man*co"na bark` (?). See Sassy
bark.
Man"cus (?), n. [AS.]
An old Anglo Saxon coin both of gold and silver, and of
variously estimated values. The silver mancus was
equal to about one shilling of modern English money.
-man`cy (?). [Gr. -mancie.] A combining form denoting
divination; as, aleuromancy,
chiromancy, necromancy, etc.
Mand (?), n. A demand.
[Obs.] See Demand.
\'d8Man*da"mus (?), n. [L., we
command, fr. mandare to command.]
(Law) A writ issued by a superior court and
directed to some inferior tribunal, or to some corporation or
person exercising authority, commanding the performance of some
specified duty.
Man`da*rin" (?), n. [Pg.
mandarim, from Malay mantr\'c6 minister of
state, prop. a Hind. word, fr. Skr. mantrin a
counselor, manira a counsel, man to
think.] 1. A Chinese public officer or
nobleman; a civil or military official in China and Annam.
2. (Bot.) A small orange, with easily
separable rind. It is thought to be of Chinese origin, and is
counted a distinct species (Citrus nobilis)<-- also
mandarin orange; tangerine
-->.
Mandarin duck (Zo\'94l.), a
beautiful Asiatic duck (Dendronessa galericulata),
often domesticated, and regarded by the Chinese as an emblem of
conjugal affection. -- Mandarin language, the
spoken or colloquial language of educated people in China.
-- Mandarin yellow (Chem.), an
artificial aniline dyestuff used for coloring silk and wool, and
regarded as a complex derivative of quinoline.
Man`da*rin"ate (?), n. The
collective body of officials or persons of rank in China.
S. W. Williams.
<-- p. 890 -->
Man`da*rin"ic (?), a.
Appropriate or peculiar to a mandarin.
Man`da*rin"ing, n. (Dyeing)
The process of giving an orange color to goods formed of
animal tissue, as silk or wool, not by coloring matter, but by
producing a certain change in the fiber by the action of dilute
nitric acid.
Tomlinson.
Man`da*rin"ism (?), n. A
government mandarins; character or spirit of the mandarins.
F. Lieder.
Man"da*ta*ry (?), n. [L.
mandatarius, fr. mandatum a charge, commission, order:
cf. F. mandataire. See Mandate.]
1. One to whom a command or charge is given; hence,
specifically, a person to whom the pope has, by his prerogative,
given a mandate or order for his benefice.
Ayliffe.
2. (Law) One who undertakes to discharge
a specific business commission; a mandatory.
Wharton.
Man"date (?), n. [L.
mandatum, fr. mandare to commit to one's
charge, order, orig., to put into one's hand; manus
hand + dare to give: cf. F. mandat. See
Manual, Date a time, and cf. Commend,
Maundy Thursday.] 1. An official or
authoritative command; an order or injunction; a commission; a
judicial precept.
This dream all-powerful Juno; I bear
Her mighty mandates, and her words you hear.
Dryden.
2. (Canon Law) A rescript of the pope,
commanding an ordinary collator to put the person therein named
in possession of the first vacant benefice in his
collation.
3. (Scots Law) A contract by which one
employs another to manage any business for him. By the Roman law,
it must have been gratuitous.
Erskine.
\'d8Man*da"tor (?), n.
[L.] 1. A director; one who gives a
mandate or order.
Ayliffe.
2. (Rom. Law) The person who employs
another to perform a mandate.
Bouvier.
Man"da*to*ry (?), a. [L.
mandatorius.] Containing a command;
preceptive; directory.
Man"da*to*ry, n. Same as
Mandatary.
Man"del*ate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of mandelic acid.
Man*del"ic (?), a. [G.
mandel almond.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to an acid first obtained from benzoic aldehyde
(oil of better almonds), as a white crystalline substance; --
called also phenyl glycolic acid.
Man"der (?), v. t. & i. See
Maunder.
Man"der*il (?), n. A
mandrel.
Man"di*ble (?), n. [L.
mandibula, mandibulum, fr.
mandere to chew. Cf. Manger.]
1. (Anat.) The bone, or principal bone,
of the lower jaw; the inferior maxilla; -- also applied to either
the upper or the lower jaw in the beak of birds.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The anterior pair of mouth
organs of insects, crustaceaus, and related animals, whether
adapted for biting or not. See Illust. of
Diptera.
Man*dib"u*lar (?), a. [Cf. F.
mandibulaire.] Of or pertaining to a
mandible; like a mandible. -- n. The
principal mandibular bone; the mandible.
Mandibular arch (Anat.), the most
anterior visceral arch, -- that in which the mandible is
developed.
{ Man*dib"u*late (?),
Man*dib"u*la`ted (?), } a.
(Zo\'94l.) Provided with mandibles adapted for
biting, as many insects.
Man*dib"u*late (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) An insect having mandibles.
Man`di*bu"li*form (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Having the form of a mandible; -- said
especially of the maxill\'91 of an insect when hard and adapted
for biting.
Man*dib`u*lo*hy"oid (?), a.
(Anat.) Pertaining both to the mandibular and the
hyoid arch, or situated between them.
Man"dil (?), n. [OF.
mandil; cf. Sp. & Pg. mandil a coarse
apron, a haircloth; all from Ar. mandil tablecloth,
handkerchief, mantle, fr. LGr. mantile,
mantele. See Mantle.] A loose
outer garment worn the 16th and 17th centuries.
Man*dil"ion (?), n. See
Mandil. Chapman.
Man*din"gos (?), n. pl.;
sing. Mandingo. (Ethnol.) An
extensive and powerful tribe of West African negroes.
{ Man"di*oc (?), \'d8Man`di*o"ca
(?), } n. (Bot.) See
Manioc.
Man"dle*stone` (?), n. [G.
mandelstein almond stone.] (Min.)
Amygdaloid.
Mand"ment (?), n.
Commandment. [Obs.]
{ Man"do*lin, Man"do*line }
(?), n. [F. mandoline, It.
mandolino, dim. of mandola, fr. L.
pandura. See Bandore.]
(Mus.) A small and beautifully shaped instrument
resembling the lute.
Man"dore (?), n. [See
Mandolin, and Bandore.] (Mus.)
A kind of four-stringed lute.
Man*drag"o*ra (?), n. [L.,
mandragoras the mandrake.] (Bot.)
A genus of plants; the mandrake. See Mandrake,
1.
Man*drag"o*rite (?), n. One who
habitually intoxicates himself with a narcotic obtained from
mandrake.
Man"drake (?), n. [AS.
mandragora, L. mandragoras, fr. Gr. mandragore.] 1.
(Bot.) A low plant (Mandragora
officinarum) of the Nightshade family, having a fleshy
root, often forked, and supposed to resemble a man. It was
therefore supposed to have animal life, and to cry out when
pulled up. All parts of the plant are strongly narcotic. It is
found in the Mediterranean region.
And shrieks like mandrakes, torn out of the earth,
That living mortals, hearing them, run mad.
Shak.
2. (Bot.) The May apple
(Podophyllum peltatum). See May apple
under May, and Podophyllum.
[U.S.]
Man"drel (?), n. [F.
mandrin, prob. through (assumed) LL.
mamphurinum, fr. L. mamphur a bow
drill.] (Mach.) (a) A bar of metal
inserted in the work to shape it, or to hold it, as in a lathe,
during the process of manufacture; an arbor. (b)
The live spindle of a turning lathe; the revolving arbor of
a circular saw. It is usually driven by a pulley.
[Written also manderil.]
Mandrel lathe, a lathe with a stout spindle,
adapted esp. for chucking, as for forming hollow articles by
turning or spinning.
Man"drill (?), n. [Cf. F.
mandrille, Sp. mandril, It.
mandrillo; prob. the native name in Africa. Cf.
Drill an ape.] (Zo\'94l.) a large
West African baboon (Cynocephalus, ). The adult male has, on the sides of the nose,
large, naked, grooved swellings, conspicuously striped with blue
and red.
Man"du*ca*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
manducable. See Manducate.] Such
as can be chewed; fit to be eaten. [R.]
Any manducable creature.
Sir T. Herbert.
Man"du*cate (?) v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Manducated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Manducating
(?).] [L. manducatus, p. p.
of manducare to chew. See Manger.]
To masticate; to chew; to eat. [R.]
Jer. Taylor.
Man`du*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
manducatio: cf. F. manducation.]
The act of chewing. [R.]
Jer. Taylor.
Man"du*ca*to*ry (?), a.
Pertaining to, or employed in, chewing.
\'d8Man*du"cus (?), n. [L., fr.
manducare to chew.] (Gr. & Rom.
Antiq.) A grotesque mask, representing a person
chewing or grimacing, worn in processions and by comic actors on
the stage.
Mane (?), n. [AS.
manu; akin to OD. mane, D. maan,
G. m\'84hne, OHG. mana, Icel.
m\'94n, Dan. & Sw. man, AS. mene
necklace, Icel. men, L. monile, Gr. many\'be neck muscles.
The long and heavy hair growing on the upper side of, or
about, the neck of some quadrupedal animals, as the horse, the
lion, etc. See Illust. of Horse.
Man"-eat`er (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) One who, or that which, has an
appetite for human flesh; specifically, one of certain large
sharks (esp. Carcharodon Rondeleti); also, a lion or a
tiger which has acquired the habit of feeding upon human
flesh.
Maned (?), a. Having a
mane.
Maned seal (Zo\'94l.), the sea
lion. -- Maned sheep (Zo\'94l.),
the aoudad.
Ma*nege" (?; 277), n. [F.
man\'8age. See Manage, n.]
1. Art of horsemanship, or of training horses
2. A school for teaching horsemanship, and for
training horses.
Chesterfield.
\'d8Ma"neh (?), n. [Heb.
m\'beneh.] A Hebrew weight for gold or
silver, being one hundred shekels of gold and sixty shekels of
silver.
Ezek. xlv. 12.
Mane"less (?), a. Having no
mane.
Maneless lion (Zo\'94l.), a variety
of the lion having a short, inconspicuous mane. It inhabits
Arabia and adjacent countries.
Man"e*quin (?), n. [See
Manikin.] An artist's model of wood or other
material.
Ma*ne"ri*al (?), a. See
Manorial.
\'d8Ma"nes (?), n. pl.
[L.] (Rom. Antiq.) The benevolent
spirits of the dead, especially of dead ancestors, regarded as
family deities and protectors.
Hail, O ye holy manes!
Dryden.
Mane"sheet` (?), n. A covering
placed over the upper part of a horse's head.
{ Ma*neu"ver, Ma*n\'d2u"vre }
(?), n. [F. man\'d2uvre, OF.
manuevre, LL. manopera, lit., hand work,
manual labor; L.manus hand + opera, fr.
opus work. See Manual, Operate, and
cf. Mainor, Manure.]
1. Management; dexterous movement; specif., a
military or naval evolution, movement, or change of
position.
2. Management with address or artful design; adroit
proceeding; stratagem.
{ Ma*neu"ver, Ma*n\'d2u"vre, }
v. i. [imp. & p. p.
Maneuvered (#) or Man\'d2uvred;
p. pr. & vb. n. Maneuvering (,
or Man\'d2uvring (.] [Cf.
F. man\'d2uvrer. See Maneuver,
n.] 1. To perform a movement or
movements in military or naval tactics; to make changes in
position with reference to getting advantage in attack or
defense.
2. To manage with address or art; to scheme.
{ Ma*neu"ver, Ma*n\'d2u"vre, }
v. t. To change the positions of, as of troops of
ships.
{ Ma*neu"ver*er (?),
Ma*n\'d2u"vrer (?), } n.
One who maneuvers.
This charming widow Beaumont is a nan\'d2uvrer. We
can't well make an English word of it.
Miss Edgeworth.
Man"ful (?), a. Showing
manliness, or manly spirit; hence, brave, courageous, resolute,
noble. \'bd Manful hardiness.\'b8
Chaucer. -- Man"ful*ly,
adv. -- Man"ful*ness,
n.
Mam"ga*bey (?), n. [So called
by Buffon from Mangaby, in Madagascar, where he
erroneously supposed them be native.] (Zo\'94l.)
Any one of several African monkeys of the genus
Cercocebus, as the sooty mangabey (C.
fuliginosus), which is sooty black. [Also
written mangaby.]
Man"gan (?), n. See
Mangonel.
Man"ga*nate (?), n. [Cf. F.
manganate.] (Chem.) A salt of
manganic acid.
Man`ga*ne"sate (?), n.
(Chem.) A manganate. [Obs.]
Man`ga*nese" (?), n. [F.
mangan\'8ase, It. mamaganese, sasso
magnesio; prob. corrupted from L. magnes,
because of its resemblance to the magnet. See Magnet,
and cf. Magnesia.] (Chem.) An
element obtained by reduction of its oxide, as a hard, grayish
white metal, fusible with difficulty, but easily oxidized. Its
ores occur abundantly in nature as the minerals pyrolusite,
manganite, etc. Symbol Mn. Atomic weight 54.8.
ferromanganese) is used to increase the density and
hardness of steel.
Black oxide of manganese, Manganese
dioxide , Black manganese
(Chem.), a heavy black powder
MnO2, occurring native as the mineral
pyrolusite, and valuable as a strong oxidizer; -- called also
familiarly manganese. It colors glass violet,
and is used as a decolorizer to remove the green tint of impure
glass. Manganese bronze, an alloy made by
adding from one to two per cent of manganese to the copper and
zinc used in brass.
Man`ga*ne"sian (?), a. [Cf. F.
mangan\'82sien.] (Chem.)
Manganic. [R.]
Man`ga*ne"sic (?), a. [Cf. F.
mangan\'82sique.] (Chem.)
Manganic. [Obs.]
Man`ga*ne"sious (?), a.
(Chem.) Manganous.
Man`ga*ne"si*um (?), n.
[NL.] Manganese.
Man`ga*ne"sous (?), a.
(Chem.) Manganous.
Man`gan"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
manganique.] (Chem.) Of,
pertaining to resembling, or containing, manganese; specif.,
designating compounds in which manganese has a higher valence as
contrasted with manganous compounds. Cf.
Manganous.
Manganic acid, an acid,
H2MnO4, formed from manganese, analogous to
sulphuric acid.
Man`ga*nif"er*ous (?), a.
[Manganese + -ferous.]
Containing manganese.
Man"ga*nite (?), n. 1.
(Min.) One of the oxides of manganese; -- called
also gray manganese ore. It occurs in
brilliant steel-gray or iron-black crystals, also massive.
2. (Chem.) A compound of manganese
dioxide with a metallic oxide; so called as though derived from
the hypothetical manganous acid.
Man*ga"ni*um (?), n.
[NL.] Manganese.
Man"ga*nous (?), a.
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, designating, those
compounds of manganese in which the element has a lower valence
as contrasted with manganic compounds; as,
manganous oxide.
Manganous acid, a hypothetical compound
analogous to sulphurous acid, and forming the so-called
manganites.
Mang"corn` (?), n. [OE.
mengen to mix. See Mingle, and
Corn.] A mixture of wheat and rye, or other
species of grain. [Prov Eng.]
Mange (?), n. [See
Mangy.] (Vet.) The scab or itch in
cattle, dogs, and other beasts.
Mange insect (Zo\'94l.), any one of
several species of small parasitic mites, which burrow in the
skin of cattle. horses, dogs, and other animals, causing the
mange. The mange insect of the horse (Psoroptes, ), and that of cattle (Symbiotes,
) are the most important species.
See Acarina.
Man"gel-wur`zel (?), n. [G.,
corrupted fr. mangoldwurzel; mangold beet
+ wurzel root.] (Bot.) A kind of
large field beet (B. macrorhiza), used as food for
cattle, -- by some considered a mere variety of the ordinary
beet. See Beet. [Written also
mangold-wurzel.]
<-- Insert: Illustr. of Mangel-Wurzel -->
Man"ger (?), n. [F.
mangeoire, fr. manger to eat, fr. L.
manducare, fr. mandere to chew. Cf.
Mandible, Manducate.] 1. A
trough or open box in which fodder is placed for horses or cattle
to eat.
2. (Naut.) The fore part of the deck,
having a bulkhead athwart ships high enough to prevent water
which enters the hawse holes from running over it.
Man"gi*ly (?), adv. In a mangy
manner; scabbily.
Man"gi*ness, n. [From
Mangy.] The condition or quality of being
mangy.
Man"gle (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mangled
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mangling
(?).] [A frequentative fr. OE.
manken to main, AS. mancian, in
bemancian to mutilate, fr. L. mancus
maimed; perh. akin to G. mangeln to be wanting.]
1. To cut or bruise with repeated blows or strokes,
making a ragged or torn wound, or covering with wounds; to tear
in cutting; to cut in a bungling manner; to lacerate; to
mutilate.
Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and
mail.
Milton.
2. To mutilate or injure, in making, doing, or
pertaining; as, to mangle a piece of music or a
recitation.
To mangle a play or a novel.
Swift.
Man"gle, n. [D. mangel, fr.
OE. mangonel a machine for throwing stones, LL.
manganum, Gr. Mangonel.]
A machine for smoothing linen or cotton cloth, as sheets,
tablecloths, napkins, and clothing, by roller pressure.
Mangle rack (Mach.), a contrivance
for converting continuous circular motion into reciprocating
rectilinear motion, by means of a rack and pinion, as in the
mangle. The pinion is held to the rack by a groove in such a
manner that it passes alternately from one side of the rack to
the other, and thus gives motion to it in opposite directions,
according to the side in which its teeth are engaged. --
Mangle wheel, a wheel in which the teeth, or pins,
on its face, are interrupted on one side, and the pinion, working
in them, passes from inside to outside of the teeth alternately,
thus converting the continuous circular motion of the pinion into
a reciprocating circular motion of the wheel.
<-- p. 891 -->
Man"gle (?), v. t. [Cf. D.
mangelen. See Mangle, n.]
To smooth with a mangle, as damp linen or cloth.
Man"gler (?), n. [See 1st
Mangle.] One who mangles or tears in cutting;
one who mutilates any work in doing it.
Man"gler, n. [See 3d
Mangle.] One who smooths with a mangle.
Man"go (?), n.; pl.
Mangoes (#). [Pg.
manga, fr. Tamil m\'benk\'bey.]
1. The fruit of the mango tree. It is rather larger
than an apple, and of an ovoid shape. Some varieties are fleshy
and luscious, and others tough and tasting of turpentine. The
green fruit is pickled for market.
2. A green muskmelon stuffed and pickled.
Mango bird (Zo\'94l.), an oriole
(Oriolus kundoo), native of India. -- Mango
fish (Zo\'94l.), a fish of the Ganges
(Polynemus risua), highly esteemed for food. It has
several long, slender filaments below the pectoral fins. It
appears about the same time with the mango fruit, in April and
May, whence the name. -- Mango tree
(Bot.), an East Indian tree of the genus
Mangifera (M. Indica), related to the
cashew and the sumac. It grows to a large size, and produces the
mango of commerce. It is now cultivated in tropical
America.
Man"gold*wur`zel (?), n.
[G.] (Bot.) See
Mangel-wurzel.
Man"go*nel (?), n. [OF.
mangonel, LL. manganellus,
manganum, fr. Gr. Mangle,
n.] A military engine formerly used for
throwing stones and javelins.
Man"go*nism (?), n. The art of
mangonizing, or setting off to advantage.
[Obs.]
Man"go*nist (?), n. 1.
One who mangonizes. (Zo\'94l.)
2. A slave dealer; also, a strumpet.
[Obs.]
Man"go*nize (?), v. t. [L.
mangonizare, fr. mango a dealer in slaves
or wares, to which he tries to give an appearance of greater
value by decking them out or furbishing them up.] To
furbish up for sale; to set off to advantage. [Obs.
or R.]
B. Jonson.
{ Man"go*steen (?), Man"go*stan
(?), } n. [Malay
mangusta, mangis.] (Bot.)
A tree of the East Indies of the genus Garcinia
(G. Mangostana). The tree grows to the height of
eighteen feet, and bears fruit also called mangosteen,
of the size of a small apple, the pulp of which is very delicious
food.
Man"grove (?), n. [Malay
manggi-manggi.] 1. (Bot.)
The name of one or two trees of the genus
Rhizophora (R. Mangle, and R.
mucronata, the last doubtfully distinct) inhabiting muddy
shores of tropical regions, where they spread by emitting
a\'89rial roots, which fasten in the saline mire and eventually
become new stems. The seeds also send down a strong root while
yet attached to the parent plant.
Avicennia nitida and A. tomentosa) have
much the same habit.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The mango fish.
\'d8Mangue (?), n. [F.]
(Zo\'94l.) The kusimanse.
Man"gy (?), a.
[Compar. Mangier (?);
superl. Mangiest.] [F.
mang\'82, p. p. of manger to eat. See
Manger.] Infected with the mange;
scabby.
Man*ha"den (?), n. See
Menhaden.
Man"head (?), n. Manhood.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Man"hole` (?), n. A hole
through which a man may descend or creep into a drain, sewer,
steam boiler, parts of machinery, etc., for cleaning or
repairing.
Man"hood, n. [Man- +
-hood.] 1. The state of being man
as a human being, or man as distinguished from a child or a
woman.
2. Manly quality; courage; bravery;
resolution.
I am ashamed
That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus.
Shak.
Ma"ni*a (?), n. [L.
mania, Gr. manie, F. manie. Cf. Mind,
n., Necromancy.] 1.
Violent derangement of mind; madness; insanity. Cf.
Delirium.
2. Excessive or unreasonable desire; insane passion
affecting one or many people; as, the tulip
mania.
Mania a potu [L.], madness from
drinking; delirium tremens.
Syn. -- Insanity; derangement; madness; lunacy; alienation;
aberration; delirium; frenzy. See Insanity.
Man"i*a*ble (?), a. [F., fr.
manier to manage, fr. L. manus hand.]
Manageable. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Ma"ni*ac (?), a. [F.
maniaque. See Mania.] Raving with
madness; raging with disordered intellect; affected with mania;
mad.
Ma"ni*ac (?), n. A raving
lunatic; a madman.
Ma*ni"a*cal (?), a. Affected
with, or characterized by, madness; maniac. --
Ma*ni"a*cal*ly, adv.
Man"i*cate (?), a. [L.
manicatus sleeved, fr. manica a
sleeve.] (Bot.) Covered with hairs or
pubescence so platted together and interwoven as to form a mass
easily removed.
{ Man`i*ch\'91"an (?),
Man`i*che"an, Man"i*chee (?) },
n. [LL. Manichaeus: cf. F.
manich\'82en.] A believer in the doctrines
of Manes, a Persian of the third century A. D., who taught a
dualism in which Light is regarded as the source of Good, and
Darkness as the source of Evil.
The Manich\'91ans stand as representatives of
dualism pushed to its utmost development.
Tylor.
{ Man`i*ch\'91"an, Man`i*che"an
(?) }, a. Of or pertaining to the
Manich\'91ans.
{ Man"i*ch\'91*ism, Man"i*che*ism
(?) }, n. [Cf. F.
manich\'82isme.] The doctrines taught, or
system of principles maintained, by the Manich\'91ans.
Man"i*che*ist, n. [Cf. F.
manich\'82iste.] Manich\'91an.
{ Man"i*chord (?), Man`i*chor"don
(?), } [L. monochordon, Gr. Monochord.] (Mus.) The clavichord
or clarichord; -- called also dumb
spinet.
Man"i*cure (?), n. [F., fr. L.
manus hand + curare to cure.] A
person who makes a business of taking care of people's hands,
especially their nails.<-- now called manicurist -->
<-- 2. A thorough cosmetic treatment of the hands, especially the
trimming and polishing of the fingernails, and removing of
cuticles, performed by a manicurist.
v. t. (Metaph.) to trim carefully and meticulously, as to
manicure a lawn. -->
[Men] who had taken good care of their hands by wearing gloves
and availing themselves of the services of a
manicure.
Pop. Sci. Monthly.
Ma"nid (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
Any species of the genus Manis, or family
Manid\'91.
Ma`nie" (?), n. [F. See
Mania.] Mania; insanity.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Man"i*fest (?), a. [F.
manifeste, L. manifestus, lit., struck by
the hand, hence, palpable; manus hand +
fendere (in comp.) to strike. See Manual, and
Defend.] 1. Evident to the senses,
esp. to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived; hence, obvious
to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible;
plain; not obscure or hidden.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest
in his sight.
Heb. iv. 13.
That which may be known of God is manifest in
them.
Rom. i. 19.
Thus manifest to sight the god appeared.
Dryden.
2. Detected; convicted; -- with
of. [R.]
Calistho there stood manifest of shame.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Open; clear; apparent; evident; visible;
conspicuous; plain; obvious. -- Manifest,
Clear, Plain, Obvious,
Evident. What is clear can be seen readily;
what is obvious lies directly in our way, and
necessarily arrests our attention; what isevident is
seen so clearly as to remove doubt; what is manifest
is very distinctly evident.
So clear, so shining, and so evident,
That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye.
Shak.
Entertained with solitude,
Where obvious duty er
Milton.
I saw, I saw him manifest in view,
His voice, his figure, and his gesture knew.
Dryden.
Man"i*fest, n.; pl. Manifests
(#). [Cf. F. manifeste. See
Manifest, a., and cf.
Manifesto.] 1. A public declaration;
an open statement; a manifesto. See Manifesto.
[Obs.]
2. A list or invoice of a ship's cargo, containing
a description by marks, numbers, etc., of each package of goods,
to be exhibited at the customhouse.<-- = ship's manifest
-->
Bouvier.
Man"i*fest, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Manifested (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Manifesting.] 1. To
show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, -- usually to the
mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to
exhibit.
There is nothing hid which shall not be
manifested.
Mark iv. 22.
Thy life did manifest thou lovedst me not.
Shak.
2. To exhibit the manifests or prepared invoices
of; to declare at the customhouse.
Syn. -- To reveal; declare; evince; make known; disclose;
discover; display.
Man"i*fest`a*ble (?), a. Such
as can be manifested.
Man`i*fes*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
manifestatio: cf. F. manifestation.]
The act of manifesting or disclosing, or the state of being
manifested; discovery to the eye or to the understanding; also,
that which manifests; exhibition; display; revelation; as,
the manifestation of God's power in creation.
The secret manner in which acts of mercy ought to be
performed, requires this public manifestation of them
at the great day.
Atterbury.
Man"i*fest`i*ble (?), a.
Manifestable.
Man"i*fest*ly (?), adv. In a
manifest manner.
Man"i*fest*ness, n. The quality or state
of being manifest; obviousness.
Man`i*fes"to (?), n.; pl.
Manifestoes (#). [It.
manifesto. See Manifest, n. &
a.] A public declaration, usually of a prince,
sovereign, or other person claiming large powers, showing his
intentions, or proclaiming his opinions and motives in reference
to some act done or contemplated by him; as, a
manifesto declaring the purpose of a prince to begin
war, and explaining his motives.
Bouvier.
it was proposed to draw up a manifesto, setting
forth the grounds and motives of our taking arms.
Addison.
Frederick, in a public manifesto, appealed to the
Empire against the insolent pretensions of the pope.
Milman.
Man"i*fold (?), a. [AS.
manigfeald. See Many, and
Fold.] 1. Various in kind or
quality; many in number; numerous; multiplied; complicated.
O Lord, how manifold are thy works!
Ps. civ. 24.
I know your manifold transgressions.
Amos v. 12.
2. Exhibited at divers times or in various ways; --
used to qualify nouns in the singular number. \'bdThe
manifold wisdom of God.\'b8 Eph. iii. 10.
\'bdThe manifold grace of God.\'b8 1 Pet. iv.
10.
Manifold writing, a process or method by which
several copies, as of a letter, are simultaneously made, sheets
of coloring paper being infolded with thin sheets of plain paper
upon which the marks made by a stylus or a type-writer are
transferred.
Man"i*fold (?), n. 1.
A copy of a writing made by the manifold process.
2. (Mech.) A cylindrical pipe fitting,
having a number of lateral outlets, for connecting one pipe with
several others.
3. pl. The third stomach of a ruminant
animal. [Local, U.S.]
Man"i*fold, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Manifolded (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Manifolding.] To take copies
of by the process of manifold writing; as, to
manifold a letter.
Man"i*fold`ed, a. Having many folds,
layers, or plates; as, a manifolded
shield. [Obs.]
Man"i*fold`ly, adv. In a manifold
manner.
Man"i*fold`ness, n. 1.
Multiplicity.
Sherwood.
2. (Math.) A generalized concept of
magnitude.
Man"i*form (?), a. [L.
manus hand + -form.] Shaped like
the hand.
Ma*ni"glion (?), n. [It.
maniglio, maniglia, bracelet, handle. Cf.
Manilio.] (Gun.) Either one of two
handles on the back of a piece of ordnance.
{ Man"i*hoc (?), Man"i*hot
(?), } n. See
Manioc.
Man"i*kin (?), n. [OD.
manneken, dim. of man man. See
Man, and -kin.] 1. A little
man; a dwarf; a pygmy; a manakin.
2. A model of the human body, made of papier-mache
or other material, commonly in detachable pieces, for exhibiting
the different parts and organs, their relative position,
etc.
{ Ma*nil"a (?), Ma*nil"la
}, a. Of or pertaining to Manila or
Manilla, the capital of the Philippine Islands; made in, or
exported from, that city.
Manila cheroot cigar,
a cheroot or cigar made of tobacco grown in the Philippine
Islands. -- Manila hemp, a fibrous material
obtained from the Musa textilis, a plant allied to the
banana, growing in the Philippine and other East India islands;
-- called also by the native name abaca. From
it matting, canvas, ropes, and cables are made. --
Manila paper, a durable brown or buff paper made
of Manila hemp, used as a wrapping paper, and as a cheap printing
and writing paper. The name is also given to inferior papers,
made of other fiber.
Ma*nil"io (?), n. See
Manilla, 1.
Sir T. Herbert.
Ma*nil"la (?), n. [Sp.
manilla; cf. It. maniglio,
maniglia; F. manille; Pg.
manilha; all fr. L. manus hand, and formed
after the analogy of L. monile, pl.
monilia, necklace: cf. F. manille.]
1. A ring worn upon the arm or leg as an ornament,
especially among the tribes of Africa.
2. A piece of copper of the shape of a horseshoe,
used as money by certain tribes of the west coast of
Africa.
Simmonds.
Ma*nil"la, a. Same as
Manila.
\'d8Ma*nille" (?), n.
[F.] See 1st Manilla, 1.
Ma"ni*oc (?), n. [Pg.
mandioca, fr. Braz.] (Bot.) The
tropical plants (Manihot utilissima, and M.
Aipi), from which cassava and tapioca are prepared; also,
cassava.[Written also mandioc,
manihoc, manihot.]
Man"i*ple (?), n. [L.
manipulus, maniplus, a handful, a certain
number of soldiers; manus hand + root of
plere to fill, plenus full: cf.
F.maniple. See Manual, and Full,
a.] 1. A handful.
[R.]
B. Jonson.
2. A division of the Roman army numbering sixty men
exclusive of officers, any small body of soldiers; a
company.
Milton.
3. Originally, a napkin; later, an ornamental band
or scarf worn upon the left arm as a part of the vestments of a
priest in the Roman Catholic Church. It is sometimes worn in the
English Church service.
Ma*nip"u*lar (?), a. [L.
manipularis: cf. F. manipulaire.]
1. Of or pertaining to the maniple, or
company.
2. Manipulatory; as, manipular
operations.
Ma*nip"u*late (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Manipulated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Manipulating
(?).] [LL. manipulatus, p.
p. of manipulare to lead by the hand, fr. L.
manipulus. See Maniple.] 1.
To treat, work, or operate with the hands, especially when
knowledge and dexterity are required; to manage in hand work; to
handle; as, to manipulate scientific
apparatus.
2. To control the action of, by management; as,
to manipulate a convention of delegates; to
manipulate the stock market; also, to manage
artfully or fraudulently; as, to manipulate
accounts, or election returns.
Ma*nip"u*late, v. i. To use the hands in
dexterous operations; to do hand work; specifically, to manage
the apparatus or instruments used in scientific work, or in
artistic or mechanical processes; also, specifically, to use the
hand in mesmeric operations.
Ma*nip`u*la"tion (?), n. [Cf.
F. manipulation.] 1. The act or
process of manipulating, or the state of being manipulated; the
act of handling work by hand; use of the hands, in an artistic or
skillful manner, in science or art.
Manipulation is to the chemist like the external
senses to the mind.
Whewell.
2. The use of the hands in mesmeric
operations.
3. Artful management; as, the
manipulation of political bodies; sometimes, a
management or treatment for purposes of deception or fraud.
Ma*nip"u*la*tive (?), a. Of or
pertaining to manipulation; performed by manipulation.
Ma*nip"u*la`tor (?), n. One who
manipulates
<-- p. 892 -->
Ma*nip"u*la*to*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to manipulation.
\'d8Ma"nis (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
manes the ghosts or shades of the dead. So called from
its dismal appearance, and because it seeks for its food by
night.] (Zo\'94l.) A genus of edentates,
covered with large, hard, triangular scales, with sharp edges
that overlap each other like tiles on a roof. They inhabit the
warmest parts of Asia and Africa, and feed on ants. Called also
Scaly anteater. See Pangolin.
{ Man"i*to (?), Man"i*tou
(?), Man"i*tu (?) },
n. A name given by tribes of American Indians to
a great spirit, whether good or evil, or to any object of
worship.
Tylor.
Gitche Manito the mighty,
The Great Spirit, the creator,
Smiled upon his helpless children!
Longfellow.
Mitche Manito the mighty,
He the dreadful Spirit of Evil,
As a serpent was depicted.
Longfellow.
Man"i*trunk (?), n. [L.
manus hand + E. trunk.]
(Zo\'94l.) The anterior segment of the thorax in
insects. See Insect.
Man`kind" (?), n. [AS.
mancynn. See Kin kindred, Kind,
n.] 1. The human race; man, taken
collectively.
The proper study of mankind is man.
Pore.
2. Men, as distinguished from women; the male
portion of human race.
Lev. xviii. 22.
3. Human feelings; humanity.
[Obs]
B. Jonson.
Man"kind` (?), a. Manlike; not
womanly; masculine; bold; cruel. [Obs]
Are women grown so mankind? Must they be
wooing?
Beau. & Fl.
Be not too mankind against your wife.
Chapman.
Manks (?), a. Of or pertaining
to the language or people of the of Man. --
n. The language spoken in the Isle of Man.
See Manx.
Man"less (?), a. 1.
Destitute of men.
Bakon.
2. Unmanly; inhuman. [Obs.]
Chapman.
Man"less*ly, adv. Inhumanly.
[Obs.]
Man"like` (?), a.
[Man + like. Cf.
Manly.] Like man, or like a man, in form or
nature; having the qualities of a man, esp. the nobler qualities;
manly. \'bd Gentle, manlike speech.\'b8
Testament of Love. \'bd A right manlike
man.\'b8
Sir P. Sidney.
In glaring Chloe's manlike taste and mien.
Shenstone.
Man"li*ness (?), n. The quality
or state of being manly.
Man"ling (?), n. A little
man. [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Man"ly, a. [Compar.
Manlier (?); superl.
Manliest.] [Man +
-ly. Cf. Manlike.] Having
qualities becoming to a man; not childish or womanish; manlike,
esp. brave, courageous, resolute, noble.
Let's briefly put on manly readiness.
Shak.
Serene and manly, hardened to sustain
The load of life.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Bold; daring; brave; courageous; firm; undaunted;
hardy; dignified; stately.
Man"ly, adv. In a manly manner; with the
courage and fortitude of a manly man; as, to act
manly.
Man"na (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
m\'ben; cf. Ar. mann, properly,
gift (of heaven).] 1. (Script.)
The food supplied to the Israelites in their journey through
the wilderness of Arabia; hence, divinely supplied food.
Ex. xvi. 15.
2. (Bot.) A name given to lichens of the
genus Lecanora, sometimes blown into heaps in the
deserts of Arabia and Africa, and gathered and used as
food.
3. (Bot. & Med.) A sweetish exudation in
the form of pale yellow friable flakes, coming from several trees
and shrubs and used in medicine as a gentle laxative, as the
secretion of Fraxinus Ornus, and F.
rotundifolia, the manna ashes of Southern Europe.
Persian manna is the secretion of the
camel's thorn (see Camel's thorn, under
Camel); Tamarisk manna, that of the
Tamarisk mannifera, a shrub of Western Asia;
Australian, manna, that of certain species of
eucalyptus; Brian\'87on manna, that of the
European larch.
Manna grass (Bot.), a name of
several tall slender grasses of the genus Glyceria.
they have long loose panicles, and grow in moist places.
Nerved manna grass is Glyceria nervata,
and Floating manna grass is G.
flu. -- Manna insect (Zo\'94l),
a scale insect (Gossyparia mannipara), which
causes the exudation of manna from the Tamarisk tree in
Arabia.
Man"na croup` (?). [Manna +
Russ. & Pol. krupa groats, grits.]
1. The portions of hard wheat kernels not ground
into flour by the millstones: a kind of semolina prepared in
Russia and used for puddings, soups, etc. -- called also
manna groats.
2. The husked grains of manna grass.
Man"ner (?), n. [OE.
manere, F. mani\'8are, from OF.
manier, adj., manual, skillful, handy, fr. (assumed)
LL. manarius, for L. manuarius belonging to
the hand, fr. manus the hand. See
Manual.] 1. Mode of action; way of
performing or effecting anything; method; style; form;
fashion.
The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities
of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the
land.
2 Kings xvii. 26.
The temptations of prosperity insinuate themselves after a
gentle, but very powerful,manner.
Atterbury.
2. Characteristic mode of acting, conducting,
carrying one's self, or the like; bearing; habitual style.
Specifically: (a) Customary method of acting;
habit.
Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them.
Acts xvii. 2.
Air and manner are more expressive than words.
Richardson.
(b) pl. Carriage; behavior;
deportment; also, becoming behavior; well-bred carriage and
address.
Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices.
Emerson.
(c) The style of writing or thought of an author;
characteristic peculiarity of an artist.
3. Certain degree or measure; as, it is in a
manner done already.
The bread is in a manner common.
1 Sam. xxi.5.
4. Sort; kind; style; -- in this application
sometimes having the sense of a plural, sorts or kinds.
Ye tithe mint, and rue, and all manner of
herbs.
Luke xi. 42.
I bid thee say,
What manner of man art thou?
Coleridge.
of was often omitted
after manner, when employed in this sense. \'bdA
manner Latin corrupt was her speech.\'b8
Chaucer.
By any manner of means, in any way possible;
by any sort of means. -- To be taken
in, the manner. [A
corruption of to be taken in the mainor. See
Mainor.] To be taken in the very act.
[Obs.] See Mainor. -- To make
one's manners, to make a bow or courtesy; to offer
salutation. -- Manners bit, a portion left in
a dish for the sake of good manners. Hallwell.
Syn. -- Method; mode; custom; habit; fashion; air; look;
mien; aspect; appearance. See Method.
Man"nered (?), a. 1.
Having a certain way, esp a. polite way, of carrying and
conducting one's self.
Give her princely training, that she may be
Mannered as she is born.
Shak.
2. Affected with mannerism; marked by excess of
some characteristic peculiarity.
His style is in some degree mannered and
confined.
Hazlitt.
Man"ner*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
mani\'82risme.] Adherence to a peculiar
style or manner; a characteristic mode of action, bearing, or
treatment, carried to excess, especially in literature or
art.
Mannerism is pardonable,and is sometimes even
agreeable, when the manner, though vicious, is natural . . . .
But a mannerism which does not sit easy on the
mannerist, which has been adopted on principle, and which can be
sustained only by constant effort, is always offensive.
Macaulay.
Man"ner*ist, n. [Cf. F.
mani\'82riste.] One addicted to mannerism;
a person who, in action, bearing, or treatment, carries
characteristic peculiarities to excess. See citation under
Mannerism.
Man"ner*li*ness (?), n. The
quality or state of being mannerly; civility; complaisance.
Sir M. Hale.
Man"ner*ly, a. Showing good manners;
civil; respectful; complaisant.
What thou thinkest meet, and is most mannerly.
Shak.
Man"ner*ly, adv. With good
manners.
Shak.
Mann"heim gold" (?). [From
Mannheim in Germany, where much of it was made.]
A kind of brass made in imitation of gold. It contains
eighty per cent of copper and twenty of zinc.
Ure.
Man"nide (?), n.
[Mannite + anhydride.]
(Chem.) A white amorphous or crystalline
substance, obtained by dehydration of mannite, and distinct from,
but convertible into, mannitan.
Man"nish (?), a.
[Man + -ish: cf. AS.
mennisc, menisc.] 1.
Resembling a human being in form or nature; human.
Chaucer.
But yet it was a figure
Most like to mannish creature.
Gower.
2. Resembling, suitable to, or characteristic of, a
man, manlike, masculine.
Chaucer.
A woman impudent and mannish grown.
Shak.
3. Fond of men; -- said of a woman.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
-- Man"nish*ly (#),adv.
-- Man"nish*ness, n.
Man"ni*tan (?), n.
[Mannite + anhydrite.]
(Chem.) A white amorphous or crystalline
substance obtained by the partial dehydration of mannite.
Man"ni*tate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of mannitic acid.
Man"nite (?), n. [Cf. F.
mannite.] 1. (Chem.) A
white crystalline substance of a sweet taste obtained from a
so-called manna, the dried sap of the flowering ash
(Fraxinus ornus); -- called also
mannitol, and hydroxy
hexane. Cf. Dulcite.
<-- (MI11) HO.CH2.(CHOH)4.CH2.OH = D-mannitol;
manna sugar; cordycepic acid; Diosmol; Mannicol; Mannidex;
Osmiktrol; Osmosal. -- used in pharmacy as excipient and diluent
for solids and liquids. Used as a food additive for anti-caking
properties, or as a sweetener.
Also used to "cut" (dilute) illegal drugs such as cocaine or
heroin. ("excipient" use) -->
2. (Bot.) A sweet white efflorescence
from dried fronds of kelp, especially from those of the
Laminaria saccharina, or devil's apron.
Man*nit"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, resembling, or derived
from, mannite.
Mannitic acid (Chem.), a white
amorphous substance, intermediate between saccharic acid and
mannite, and obtained by the partial oxidation of the
latter.
Man"ni*tol (?), n.
[Mannite + -ol.]
(Chem.) The technical name of mannite. See
Mannite.
Man"ni*tose` (?), n.
(Chem.) A variety of sugar obtained by the
partial oxidation of mannite, and closely resembling
levulose.
Ma*n\'d2u"vre (?), n. & v. See
Maneuver.
Man`*of*war" (?), n; pl.
Men-of-war. A government vessel employed
for the purposes of war, esp. one of large size; a ship of
war.
Man-of-war bird (Zo\'94l.), The
frigate bird; also applied to the skua gulls, and to the
wandering albatross. -- Man-of-war hawk
(Zo\'94l.), the frigate bird. --
Man-of-war's man, a sailor serving in a ship of
war. -- Portuguese man-of-war
(Zo\'94l.), any species of the genus
Physalia. See Physalia.
Ma*nom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. -meter: cf. F.
manom\'8atre.] An instrument for measuring
the tension or elastic force of gases, steam, etc., constructed
usually on the principle of allowing the gas to exert its elastic
force in raising a column of mercury in an open tube, or in
compressing a portion of air or other gas in a closed tube with
mercury or other liquid intervening, or in bending a metallic or
other spring so as to set in motion an index; a pressure gauge.
See Pressure, and Illust. of Air
pump.
{ Man`o*met"ric (?),
Man`o*met"ric*al (?), } a.
[Cf. F. manom\'82trique.] Of or
pertaining to the manometer; made by the manometer.
Man"or (?), n. [OE.
maner, OF. maneir habitation, village, F.
manoir manor, prop. the OF. inf. maneir to
stay, remain, dwell, L. manere, and so called because
it was the permanent residence of the lord and of his tenants.
See Mansion, and cf. Remain.] 1.
(Eng. Law) The land belonging to a lord or
nobleman, or so much land as a lord or great personage kept in
his own hands, for the use and subsistence of his family.
My manors, rents, revenues, l forego.
Shak.
manor rather signifies
the jurisdiction and royalty incorporeal, than the land or site,
for a man may have a manor in gross, as the law terms it, that
is, the right and interest of a court-baron, with the perquisites
thereto belonging.
2. (American Law) A tract of land
occupied by tenants who pay a free-farm rent to the proprietor,
sometimes in kind, and sometimes by performing certain stipulated
services.
Burrill.
Manor house, or Manor
seat, the house belonging to a manor.
Ma*no"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a manor. \'bd Manorial claims.\'b8
Paley.
Man"o*scope (?), n. [Gr. -scope.] Same as
Manometer.
Ma*nos"co*py (?), n. The
science of the determination of the density of vapors and
gases.
Ma*no"ver*y (?), n. [See
Maneuver.] (Eng. Law) A
contrivance or maneuvering to catch game illegally.
Man"quell`er (?), n. A killer
of men; a manslayer. [Obs.]
Carew.
{ Man"red (?), Man"rent`
(?), } n. Homage or service
rendered to a superior, as to a lord; vassalage.
[Obs. or Scots Law]
Jamieson.
Man"rope` (?), n. (Naut.)
One of the side ropes to the gangway of a ship.
Totten.
Man"sard roof" (?). [So called from its
inventor, FranMansard, or
Mansart, a distinguished French architect, who died in
1666.] (Arch.) A hipped curb roof; that is,
a roof having on all sides two slopes, the lower one being
steeper than the upper one.
Manse (?), n. [LL.
mansa, mansus, mansum, a farm,
fr. L. manere, mansum, to stay, dwell. See
Mansion, Manor.] 1. A
dwelling house, generally with land attached.
2. The parsonage; a clergyman's house.
[Scot.]
Capital manse, the manor house, or lord's
court.
Man"serv`ant (?), n. A male
servant.
Man"sion (?), n. [OF.
mansion, F. maison, fr. L.
mansio a staying, remaining, a dwelling, habitation,
fr. manere, mansum, to stay, dwell; akin to
Gr. Manse, Manor, Menagerie,
Menial, Permanent.] 1. A
dwelling place, -- whether a part or whole of a house or other
shelter. [Obs.]
In my Father's house are many mansions.
John xiv. 2.
These poets near our princes sleep,
And in one grave their mansions keep.
Den
2. The house of the lord of a manor; a manor house;
hence: Any house of considerable size or pretension.
3. (Astrol.) A twelfth part of the
heavens; a house. See 1st House, 8.
Chaucer.
4. The place in the heavens occupied each day by
the moon in its monthly revolution. [Obs.]
The eight and twenty mansions
That longen to the moon.
Chaucer.
Mansion house, the house in which one resides;
specifically, in London and some other cities, the official
residence of the Lord Mayor.
Blackstone.
Man"sion, v. i. To dwell; to
reside. [Obs.]
Mede.
Man"sion*a*ry (?), a. Resident;
residentiary; as, mansionary canons.
Man"sion*ry (?), n. The state
of dwelling or residing; occupancy as a dwelling place.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Man"slaugh`ter (?), n. 1.
The slaying of a human being; destruction of men.
Milton.
2. (Law) The unlawful killing of a man,
either in negligenc
Man"slay`er (?), n. One who
kills a human being; one who commits manslaughter.
Man"steal`er (?), n. A person
who steals or kidnaps a human being or beings.
Man"steal`ing, n. The act or business of
stealing or kidnaping human beings, especially with a view to
e
Man"suete (?), a. [L.
mansuetus, p. p. of mansuescere to tame;
manus hand + suescere to accustom: cf. F.
mansuet.] Tame; gentle; kind.
[Obs.]
Ray.
Man"sue*tude (?), n. [L.
mansuetudo: cf. F.mansu\'82tude.]
Tameness; gentleness; mildness. [Archaic]
Man"swear` (?), v. i. To swear
falsely. Same as Mainswear.
\'d8Man"ta (?), n. [From the
native name.] (Zo\'94l.) See
Coleoptera and Sea devil.
Mant*choo" (?), a. & n. Same as
Manchu.
\'d8Man`teau" (?), n.; pl. F.
Manteaux (#), E. Manteaus
(#). [F. See Mantle,
n.] 1. A woman's cloak or
mantle.
2. A gown worn by women. [Obs.]
Man"tel (?), n. [The same word
as mantle a garment; cf. F. manteau de
chemin\'82e. See Mantle.] (Arch.)
The finish around a fireplace, covering the chimney-breast
in front and sometimes on both sides; especially, a shelf above
the fireplace, and its supports. [Written also
mantle.]
Man"tel*et (?), n. [F., dim. of
manteau, OF. mantel. See
Mantle.] 1. (a) A short
cloak formerly worn by knights. (b) A short
cloak or mantle worn by women.
A mantelet upon his shoulders hanging.
Chaucer.
2. (Fort.) A musket-proof shield of
rope, wood, or metal, which is sometimes used for the protection
of sappers or riflemen while attacking a fortress, or of gunners
at embrasures; -- now commonly written mantlet.
<-- p. 893 -->
Man"tel*piece` (?), n. Same as
Mantel.
Man"tel*shelf` (?), n. The
shelf of a mantel.
Man"tel*tree` (?), n.
(Arch.) The lintel of a fireplace when of wood,
as frequently in early houses.
Man"tic (?), a. [Gr. Of or pertaining to divination, or to the
condition of one inspired, or supposed to be inspired, by a
deity; prophetic. [R.] \'bdMantic
fury.\'b8
Trench.
Man*til"la (?), n. [Sp. See
Mantle.] 1. A lady's light cloak of
cape of silk, velvet, lace, or the like.
2. A kind of veil, covering the head and falling
down upon the shoulders; -- worn in Spain, Mexico, etc.
\'d8Man"tis (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of
numerous species of voracious orthopterous insects of the genus
Mantis, and allied genera. They are remarkable for
their slender grotesque forms, and for holding their stout
anterior legs in a manner suggesting hands folded in prayer. The
common American species is M. Carolina.
Mantis shrimp. (Zo\'94l.) See
Sguilla.
Man*tis"pid (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) Any neuropterous insect of the genus
Mantispa, and allied genera. The larv\'91 feed on
plant lice. Also used adjectively. See Illust. under
Neuroptera.
Man*tis*sa (?), n. [L., an
addition, makeweight; of Tuscan origin.] (Math.)
The decimal part of a logarithm, as distinguished from the
integral part, or characteristic.
Man"tle (?), n. [OE.
mantel, OF. mantel, F. manteau,
fr. L. mantellum, mantelum, a cloth,
napkin, cloak, mantle (cf. mantele,
mantile, towel, napkin); prob. from manus
hand + the root of tela cloth. See Manual,
Textile, and cf. Mandil, Mantel,
Mantilla.]
1. A loose garment to be worn over other garments;
an enveloping robe; a cloak. Hence, figuratively, a covering or
concealing envelope.
[The] children are clothed with mantles of
satin.
Bacon.
The green mantle of the standing pool.
Shak.
Now Nature hangs her mantle green
On every blooming tree.
Burns.
2. (Her.) Same as
Mantling.
3. (Zo\'94l.) (a) The external
fold, or folds, of the soft, exterior membrane of the body of a
mollusk. It usually forms a cavity inclosing the gills. See
Illusts. of Buccinum, and
Byssus. (b) Any free, outer
membrane. (c) The back of a bird together
with the folded wings.
4. (Arch.) A mantel. See
Mantel.
5. The outer wall and casing of a blast furnace,
above the hearth.
Raymond.
6. (Hydraulic Engin.) A penstock for a
water wheel.
Man"tle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mantled (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Mantling (?).] To
cover or envelop, as with a mantle; to cloak; to hide; to
disguise.
Shak.
Man"tle, v. i. 1. To unfold and
spread out the wings, like a mantle; -- said of hawks. Also used
figuratively.
Ne is there hawk which mantleth on her perch.
Spenser.
Or tend his sparhawk mantling in her mew.
Bp. Hall.
My frail fancy fed with full delight.
Doth bathe in bliss, and mantleth most at ease.
Spenser.
2. To spread out; -- said of wings.
The swan, with arched neck
Between her white wings mantling proudly, rows.
Milton.
3. To spread over the surface as a covering; to
overspread; as, the scum mantled on the
pool.
Though mantled in her cheek the blood.
Sir W. Scott.
4. To gather, assume, or take on, a covering, as
froth, scum, etc.
There is a sort of men whose visages
Do cream and mantle like a standing pond.
Shak.
Nor bowl of wassail mantle warm.
Tennyson.
Man"tlet (?), n. See
Mantelet.
Man"tling (?), n. (Her.)
The representation of a mantle, or the drapery behind and
around a coat of arms: -- called also
lambrequin.
Man"to (?), n. [It. or Sp.
manto, abbrev., from L. mantelum. See
Mantle.] See Manteau.
[Obs.]
Bailey.
Man*tol"o*gist (?), n. One who
is skilled in mantology; a diviner. [R.]
Man*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. -logy.] The act or art of
divination. [R.]
\'d8Man"tra (?), n.
[Skr.] A prayer; an invocation; a religious
formula; a charm. [India]
mantra peculiar to itself; as, the mantra
of the Brahmans.
Balfour (Cyc. of India).
Man"trap` (?), n. 1. A
trap for catching trespassers. [Eng.]
2. A dangerous place, as an open hatch, into which
one may fall.
Man"tu*a (?), n. 1. A
superior kind of rich silk formerly exported from Mantua in
Italy. [Obs.]
Beck (Draper's Dict.).
2. A woman's cloak or mantle; also, a woman's
gown. [Obs.]
Man"tu*a*mak`er (?), n. One who
makes dresses, cloaks, etc., for women; a dressmaker.
Man"tu*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Mantua. -- n. A native
or inhabitant of Mantua.
\'d8Ma"nu (?), n. [Skr.]
(Hind. Myth.) One of a series of progenitors of
human beings, and authors of human wisdom.
Man"u*al (?), a. [OE.
manuel, F. manuel, L. manualis,
fr. manus hand; prob. akin to AS. mund
hand, protection, OHG. munt, G. m\'81ndel a
ward, vormund guardian, Icel. mund hand.
Cf. Emancipate, Legerdemain, Maintain,
Manage, Manner, Manur,
Mound a hill.] Of or pertaining to the hand;
done or made by the hand; as, manual labor; the
king's sign manual. \'bdManual and
ocular examination.\'b8
Tatham.
Manual alphabet. See
Dactylology. -- Manual exercise
(Mil.) the exercise by which soldiers are taught
the use of their muskets and other arms. -- Seal
manual, the impression of a seal worn on the hand as a
ring. -- Sign manual. See under
Sign.
Man"u*al (?), n. [Cf. F.
manuel, LL. manuale. See Manual,
a.] 1. A small book, such as may
be carried in the hand, or conveniently handled; a handbook;
specifically, the service book of the Roman Catholic
Church.
This manual of laws, styled the Confessor's
Laws.
Sir M. Hale.
2. (Mus.) A keyboard of an organ or
harmonium for the fingers, as distinguished from the pedals; a
clavier, or set of keys.
Moore (Encyc. of Music).
3. (Mil.) A prescribed exercise in the
systematic handing of a weapon; as, the manual of
arms; the manual of the sword; the manual of
the piece (cannon, mortar, etc.).
Man"u*al*ist, n. One who works wi
Man"u*al*ly, adv. By hand.
Man"u*a*ry (?), a. [L.
manuarius, fr. manus hand.]
Manual. -- n. An
artificer. [Obs.]
Bp. Hall.
Ma*nu"bi*al (?), a. [L.
manubialis, fr. manubiae money obtained
from the sale of booty, booty.] Belonging to spoils;
taken in war. [Obs.]
Bailey.
Ma*nu"bri*al (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to a manubrium; shaped
like a manubrium; handlelike.
\'d8Ma*nu"bri*um (?), n.; pl.
L. Manubria (#), E. Manubriums
(#). [L., handle, fr. manus
hand.]
1. (Anat.) A handlelike process or part;
esp., the anterior segment of the sternum, or presternum, and the
handlelike process of the malleus.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The proboscis of a
jellyfish; -- called also hypostoma. See
Illust. of Hydromedusa.
Man"u*code (?), n. [Javanese
manukdewata the bird of the gods: cf. F.
manucode.] (Zo\'94l.) Any bird
of the genus Manucodia, of Australia and New Guinea.
They are related to the bird of paradise.
Man`u*du"cent (?), n. One who
leads by the hand; a manuductor. [Obs.]
Man`u*duc"tion (?), n. [L.
manus hand + ductio a leading,
ducere to lead: cf. F. manuduction.]
Guidance by the hand. [Obs.]
Glanvill. South.
Man`duc"tor (?), n. [L.
manus the hand + ductor a leader,
ducere to lead: cf. F. manuducteur.]
(Mus.) A conductor; an officer in the ancient
church who gave the signal for the choir to sing, and who beat
time with the hand, and regulated the music.
Moore (Encyc. of Music.)
Man`u*fac"to*ry (?), n.; pl.
-ries (#). [Cf. L.
factorium an oil press, prop., place where something
is made. See Manufacture.] 1.
Manufacture. [Obs.]
2. A building or place where anything is
manufactured; a factory.
Man`u*fac"to*ry, a. Pertaining to
manufacturing.
Man`u*fac"tur*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to manufactures. [R.]
Man`u*fac"ture (?), n. [L.
manus the hand + factura a making, fr.
facere to make: cf. F. manufacture. See
Manual, and Fact.] 1. The
operation of making wares or any products by hand, by machinery,
or by other agency.
2. Anything made from raw materials by the hand, by
machinery, or by art, as cloths, iron utensils, shoes, machinery,
saddlery, etc.
Man`u*fac"ture, v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Manufactured (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Manufacturing.] [Cf. F.
manufacturer.] 1. To make (wares
or other products) by hand, by machinery, or by other agency;
as, to manufacture cloth, nails, glass,
etc.
2. To work, as raw or partly wrought materials,
into suitable forms for use; as, to manufacture
wool, cotton, silk, or iron.
Man`u*fac"ture, v. i. To be employed in
manufacturing something.
Man`u*fac"tur*er (?), n. One
who manufactures.
Man`u*fac"tur*ing, a. 1.
Employed, or chiefly employed, in manufacture; as, a
manufacturing community; a manufacturing
town.
2. Pertaining to manufacture; as,
manufacturing projects.
\'d8Ma"nul (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A wild cat (Felis manul),
having long, soft, light-colored fur. It is found in the
mountains of Central Asia, and dwells among rocks.
Man"u*mise` (?), v. t. [See
Manumit.] To manumit.
[Obs.]
Dryden.
Man`u*mis"sion (?), n. [L.
manumissio: cf. F. manumission. See
Manumit.] The act of manumitting, or of
liberating a slave from bondage. \'bdGiven to slaves at
their manumission.\'b8
Arbuthnot.
Man`u*mit" (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Manumitted; p.
pr. & vb. n. Manumitting.] [L.
manumittere, manumissum; manus
the hand + mittere to send, to send off. See
Manual, and Missile.] To release
from slavery; to liberate from personal bondage or servitude; to
free, as a slave. \'bdManumitted slaves.\'b8
Hume.
Man"u*mo`tive (?), a. [L.
manus the hand + E. motive.]
Movable by hand. [R.]
Man"u*mo`tor (?), n. [L.
manus the hand + E. motor.] A
small wheel carriage, so constructed that a person sitting in it
may move it.
Ma*nur"a*ble (, a. 1.
Capable of cultivation. [Obs.]
Sir M. Hale.
2. Capable of receiving a fertilizing
substance.
Ma*nur"age (?), n.
Cultivation. [Obs.]
Warner.
Ma*nur"ance (?), n.
Cultivation. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Ma*nure" (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Manured
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Manuring.] [Contr, from OF.
manuvrer, manovrer, to work with the hand,
to cultivate by manual labor, F. man. See
Manual, Ure, Opera, and cf.
Inure.] 1. To cultivate by manual
labor; to till; hence, to develop by culture.
[Obs.]
To whom we gave the strand for to manure.
Surrey.
Manure thyself then; to thyself be improved;
And with vain, outward things be no more moved.
Donne.
2. To apply manure to; to enrich, as land, by the
application of a fertilizing substance.
The blood of English shall manure the ground.
Shak.
Ma*nure" (?), n. Any matter
which makes land productive; a fertilizing substance, as the
contents of stables and barnyards, dung, decaying animal or
vegetable substances, etc.
Dryden.
Ma*nure"ment, n. [Cf. OF.
manouvrement.] Cultivation.
[Obs.]
W. Wotton.
Ma*nur"er (?), n. One who
manures land.
Ma*nu"ri*al (?), a. Relating to
manures.
Ma*nur"ing (?), n. The act of
process of applying manure; also, the manure applied.
\'d8Ma"nus (?), n.; pl.
Manus. [L., the hand.]
(Anat.) The distal segment of the fore limb,
including the carpus and fore foot or hand.
Man"u*script (?), a. [L.
manu scriptus. See Manual, and
Scribe.] Written with or by the hand; not
printed; as, a manuscript volume.
Man"u*script, n. [LL.
manuscriptum, lit., something written with the hand.
See Manuscript, a.] 1. A
literary or musical composition written with the hand, as
distinguished from a printed copy.
2. Writing, as opposed to print; as, the book
exists only in manuscript.
Craik.
MS.,
plural MSS.
Man"u*script`al (?), a.
Manuscript. [Obs.]
Man`u*ten"en*cy (?), n. [L.
manus hand + tenere to hold.]
Maintenance. [Obs.]
Abp. Sancroft.
Man"way` (?), n. A small
passageway, as in a mine, that a man may pass through.
Raymond.
Manx (?), a. Of or pertaining
to the Isle of Man, or its inhabitants; as, the Manx
language.
Manx cat (Zo\'94l.), a breed of
domestic cats having a rudimentary tail, containing only about
three vertebrae. -- Manx shearwater
(Zo\'94l.), an oceanic bird (Puffinus
anglorum, or P. puffinus), called also
Manx petrel, Manx puffin.
It was formerly abundant in the Isle of Man.
Manx, n. The language of the inhabitants
of the Isle of Man, a dialect of the Celtic.
Ma"ny (?), n. [See
Meine, Mansion.] A retinue of
servants; a household. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Ma"ny, a. [It has no
variation to express degrees of comparison; more and
most, which are used for the comparative and
superlative degrees, are from a different root.] [OE.
mani, moni, AS. manig,
m\'91nig, monig; akin to D.
menig, OS. & OHG. manag, G.
manch, Dan. mange, Sw. m\'86nge,
Goth. manags, OSlav. mnog', Russ.
mnogii; cf. Icel. margr, Prov. E.
mort. Consisting of a great
number; numerous; not few.
Thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Gen. xvii. 4.
Not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are
called.
1 Cor. i. 26.
Many is freely prefixed to participles,
forming compounds which need no special explanation; as,
many-angled, many-celled,
many-eyed, many-footed,
many-handed, many-leaved,
many-lettered, many-named,
many-peopled, many-petaled,
many-seeded, many-syllabled (polysyllabic),
many-tongued, many-voiced,
many-wived, and the like.<-- in such usage equivalent
to multi -->
Comparison is often expressed by many with
as or so. \'bdAs many as were
willing hearted . . . brought bracelets.\'b8 Exod. xxxv.
22. \'bdSo many laws argue so many
sins.\'b8 Milton.
Many stands with a singular substantive with
a or an.
Many a, a large number taken distributively;
each one of many. \'bdFor thy sake have I shed many a
tear.\'b8 Shak. \'bdFull many a gem of purest
ray serene.\'b8 Gray. -- Many one,
many a one; many persons. BK. of Com. Prayer.
-- The many, the majority; -- opposed to the
few. See Many, n. -- Too
many, too numerous; hence, too powerful; as, they
are too many for us.
L'Estrange.
Syn. -- Numerous; multiplied; frequent; manifold; various;
divers; sundry.
Ma"ny, n. [AS. menigeo,
menigo, menio, multitude; akin to G.
menge, OHG. manag\'c6,
menig\'c6, Goth. managei. See
Many, a.] 1. The
populace; the common people; the majority of people, or of a
community.
After him the rascal many ran.
Spenser.
2. A large or considerable number.
A many of our bodies shall no doubt
Find native graves.
Shak.
Seeing a great many in rich gowns.
Addison.
It will be concluded by manythat he lived like an
honest man.
Fielding.
many is connected
immediately with another substantive (without of) to
show of what the many consists; as, a good
many [of] people think so.
He is liable to a great many inconveniences.
Tillotson.
Ma"ny-mind`ed (?), a. Having
many faculties; versatile; many-sided.
Ma"ny*plies (?), n.
[Many, adj. + plies, pl. of
ply a fold.] (Anat.) The third
division, or that between the reticulum, or honeycomb stomach,
and the abomasum, or rennet stomach, in the stomach of ruminants;
the omasum; the psalterium. So called from the numerous folds in
its mucous membrane. See Illust of
Ruminant.
Ma"ny-sid`ed (?), a. 1.
Having many sides; -- said of figures. Hence, presenting
many questions or subjects for consideration; as, a
many-sided topic.
2. Interested in, and having an aptitude for, many
unlike pursuits or objects of attention; versatile.
-- Ma"ny-sid`ed*ness,
n.
<-- p. 894 -->
{ Ma"ny*ways` (?), Ma"ny*wise`
(?), } adv. In many different
ways; variously.
Man`za*ni"ta (?), n. [Sp., dim.
of munzana an apple.] (Bot.) A
name given to several species of Arctostaphylos, but
mostly to A. glauca and A. pungens, shrubs
of California, Oregon, etc., with reddish smooth bark, ovate or
oval coriaceous evergreen leaves, and bearing clusters of red
berries, which are said to be a favorite food of the grizzly
bear.
Ma"o*ri (?), n.; pl.
Maoris (. (Ethnol.)
One of the aboriginal inhabitants of New Zealand; also, the
original language of New Zealand. -- a.
Of or pertaining to the Maoris or to their
language.
Map (?), n. [From F.
mappe, in mappemonde map of the world, fr.
L. mappa napkin, signal cloth; -- a Punic word. Cf.
Apron, Napkin, Nappe.]
1. A representation of the surface of the earth, or
of some portion of it, showing the relative position of the parts
represented; -- usually on a flat surface. Also, such a
representation of the celestial sphere, or of some part of
it.
orthographic, the
stereographic, the globuar, the
conical, and the cylindrical, or
Mercator's projection. See Projection.
2. Anything which represents graphically a
succession of events, states, or acts; as, an historical
map.
Thus is his cheek the map of days outworn.
Shak.
Map lichen (Bot.), a lichen
(Lecidea geographica.) growing on stones in curious
maplike figures.
Dr. Prior.
Map, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mapping (?).] To represent by
a map; -- often with out; as, to survey and
map, or map out, a county. Hence,
figuratively: To represent or indicate systematically and
clearly; to sketch; to plan; as, to map, or map
out, a journey; to map out business.
I am near to the place where they should meet, if Pisanio have
mapped it truly.
Shak.
\'d8Ma*pach" (?), n.
[Mexican.] The raccoon.
Ma"ple (?), n. [AS.
mapolder, mapulder, mapol; akin
to Icel. m\'94purr; cf. OHG. mazzaltra,
mazzoltra, G. massholder.]
(Bot.) A tree of the genus Acer,
including about fifty species. A. saccharinum is the
rock maple, or sugar maple, from the sap of which sugar is made,
in the United States, in great quantities, by evaporation; the
red or swamp maple is A. rubrum; the silver maple,
A. dasycarpum, having fruit wooly when young; the
striped maple, A. Pennsylvanium, called also
moosewood. The common maple of Europe is A.
campestre, the sycamore maple is A.
Pseudo-platanus, and the Norway maple is A.
platanoides.
Maple is much used adjectively, or as the
first part of a compound; as, maple tree,
maple leaf, etc.
Bird's-eye maple, Curled
maple, varieties of the wood of the rock maple,
in which a beautiful lustrous grain is produced by the sinuous
course of the fibers. -- Maple honey,
Maple molasses, Maple sirup,
maple sap boiled to the consistency of molasses. --
Maple sugar, sugar obtained from the sap of the
sugar maple by evaporation.
Map"like` (?), a. Having or
consisting of lines resembling a map; as, the
maplike figures in which certain lichens
grow.
Map"per*y (?), n. [From
Map.] The making, or study, of maps.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Ma"qui (?), n. (Bot.)
A Chilian shrub (Aristotelia Maqui). Its bark
furnishes strings for musical instruments, and a medicinal wine
is made from its berries.
Mar (?), n. A small lake. See
Mere. [Prov. Eng.]
Mar, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Marred (m\'84rd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Marring.] [OE.
marren, merren, AS. merran,
myrran (in comp.), to obstruct, impede, dissipate;
akin to OS. merrian, OHG. marrjan,
merran; cf. D. marren, meeren,
to moor a ship, Icel. merja to bruise, crush, and
Goth. marzjan to offend. Cf. Moor,
v.] 1. To make defective; to do
injury to, esp. by cutting off or defacing a part; to impair; to
disfigure; to deface.
I pray you mar no more trees with wiring love songs
in their barks.
Shak.
But mirth is marred, and the good cheer is
lost.
Dryden.
Ire, envy, and despair
Which marred all his borrowed visage.
Milton.
2. To spoil; to ruin. \'bdIt makes us, or it
mars us.\'b8 \'bdStriving to mend, to mar
the subject.\'b8
Shak.
Mar, n. A mark or blemish made by
bruising, scratching, or the like; a disfigurement.
\'d8Ma"ra (?), n. [Skr.
m\'bera.] (Hind. Myth.) The
principal or ruling evil spirit.
E. Arnold.
\'d8Ma"ra, n. [Icel. mara
nightmare, an ogress. See Nightmare.] (Norse
Myth.) A female demon who torments people in sleep by
crouching on their chests or stomachs, or by causing terrifying
visions.
\'d8Ma"ra, n. (Zo\'94l.) The
Patagonian cavy (Dolichotis Patagonicus.)
Mar`a*bou" (?), n. [F.]
1. (Zo\'94l.) A large stork of the genus
Leptoptilos (formerly Ciconia), esp. the
African species (L. crumenifer), which furnishes
plumes worn as ornaments. The Asiatic species (L.
dubius, or L. argala) is the adjutant. See
Adjutant. [Written also
marabu.]
2. One having five eighths negro blood; the
offspring of a mulatto and a griffe.
[Louisiana]
Bartlett.
Marabout" (?), n. [F., from Pg.
marabuto, Ar. mor\'bebit. Cf.
Maravedi.] A Mohammedan saint; especially,
one who claims to work cures supernaturally.
Mar"a*can (?), n. [Braz.
maracan\'a0.] (Zo\'94l.) A
macaw.
\'d8Ma*rai" (?), n. A sacred
inclosure or temple; -- so called by the islanders of the Pacific
Ocean.
Mar`a*nath"a (?), n. [Aramaic
m\'beran ath\'be.] \'bdOur Lord cometh;\'b8
-- an expression used by St. Paul at the conclusion of his first
Epistle to the Corinthians (xvi. 22). This word has been used in
anathematizing persons for great crimes; as much as to say,
\'bdMay the Lord come quickly to take vengeance of thy
crimes.\'b8 See Anathema maranatha, under
Anathema.
Ma*ran"ta (?), n. [NL.]
(Bot.) A genus of endogenous plants found in
tropical America, and some species also in India. They have
tuberous roots containing a large amount of starch, and from one
species (Maranta arundinacea) arrowroot is obtained.
Many kinds are cultivated for ornament.
\'d8Ma`ra*schi"no (?), n. [It.,
fr. marasca, amarasca, a sour cherry, L.
amarus bitter.] A liqueur distilled from
fermented cherry juice, and flavored with the pit of a variety of
cherry which grows in Dalmatia.
<-- Maraschino cherry -- a cherry which is colored a deep red and
sweetened by cooking in colored syrup, and flavored with
maraschino. Used as a garnish in deserts and cocktails. -->
Ma*ras"mus (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr.
(Med.) A wasting of flesh without fever or
apparent disease; a kind of consumption; atrophy; phthisis.
Pining atrophy,
Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence.
Milton.
Marasmus senilis [L.], progressive
atrophy of the aged.
Ma*raud" (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Marauded; p.
pr. & vb. n. Marauding.] [F.
marauder, fr. maraud vagabond, OF.
marault; of uncertain origin, perh. for
malault, fr. (assumed) LL. malaldus; fr. L.
malus bad, ill + a suffix of German origin (cf.
Herald). Cf. Malice.] To rove in
quest of plunder; to make an excursion for booty; to
plunder. \'bdMarauding hosts.\'b8
Milman.
Ma*raud", n. An excursion for
plundering.
Ma*raud`er (?), n. [From
Maraud, v.: cf. F.
maraudeur.] A rover in quest of booty or
plunder; a plunderer; one who pillages.
De Quincey.
Mar`a*ve"di (?), n. [Sp.
maraved\'a1; -- so called from the
Mor\'bebit\'c6n (lit., the steadfast), an Arabian
dynasty which reigned in Africa and Spain. Cf.
Marabout.] (Numis.) A small copper
coin of Spain, equal to three mils American money, less than a
farthing sterling. Also, an ancient Spanish gold coin.
Mar"ble (?), n. [OE.
marbel, marbre, F. marbre, L.
marmor, fr. Gr. Marmoreal.] 1. A massive, compact
limestone; a variety of calcite, capable of being polished and
used for architectural and ornamental purposes. The color varies
from white to black, being sometimes yellow, red, and green, and
frequently beautifully veined or clouded. The name is also given
to other rocks of like use and appearance, as serpentine or verd
antique marble, and less properly to polished porphyry, granite,
etc.
Breccia marble consists of limestone
fragments cemented together. -- Ruin marble, when
polished, shows forms resembling ruins, due to disseminated iron
oxide. -- Shell marble contains fossil shells. --
Statuary marble is a pure, white, fine-grained kind,
including Parian (from Paros) and Carrara
marble. If coarsely granular it is called
saccharoidal.
2. A thing made of, or resembling, marble, as a
work of art, or record, in marble; or, in the plural, a
collection of such works; as, the Arundel or Arundelian
marbles; the Elgin marbles.
3. A little ball of marble, or of some other hard
substance, used as a plaything by children; or, in the plural, a
child's game played with marbles.
Marble is also much used in
self-explaining compounds; when used figuratively in compounds it
commonly means, hard, cold, destitute of compassion or feeling;
as, marble-breasted, marble-faced,
marble-hearted.
Mar"ble, a. 1. Made of, or
resembling, marble; as, a marble mantel;
marble paper.
2. Cold; hard; unfeeling; as, a marble
breast or heart.
Mar"ble, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Marbled (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Marbling (?).] [Cf.
F. marbrer. See Marble, n.]
To stain or vein like marble; to variegate in color; as,
to marble the edges of a book, or the surface of
paper.
Mar"bled (?), a. 1.
Made of, or faced with, marble. [Obs.]
\'bdThe marbled mansion.\'b8
Shak.
2. Made to resemble marble; veined or spotted like
marble. \'bdMarbled paper.\'b8
Boyle.
3. (zo\'94l.) Varied with irregular
markings, or witch a confused blending of irregular spots and
streaks.
Mar"ble-edged` (?), a. Having
the edge veined or spotted with different colors like marble, as
a book.
Mar"ble*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Marbleized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Marbleizing
(?).] To stain or grain in imitation of
marble; to cover with a surface resembling marble; as, to
marbleize slate, wood, or iron.
Mar"bler (, n. 1.
One who works upon marble or other stone.
[R.]
Fuller.
2. One who colors or stains in imitation of
marble.
Mar"bling (?), n. 1.
The art or practice of variegating in color, in imitation of
marble.
2. An intermixture of fat and lean in meat, giving
it a marbled appearance.
3. pl. (Zo\'94l.) Distinct
markings resembling the variegations of marble, as on birds and
insects.
Mar"bly, a. Containing, or resembling,
marble.
\'d8Mar*bri"nus (?), n. [LL.,
fr. OF. & F. marble marble. See
Marble.] A cloth woven so as to imitate the
appearance of marble; -- much used in the 15th and 16th
centuries.
Beck (Draper's Dict.).
Marc (?), n. [F.]
The refuse matter which remains after the pressure of fruit,
particularly of grapes.
Marc, n. [AS. marc; akin to
G. mark, Icel. m\'94rk, perh. akin to E.
mark a sign. [Written
also mark.] 1. A weight of
various commodities, esp. of gold and silver, used in different
European countries. In France and Holland it was equal to eight
ounces.
2. A coin formerly current in England and Scotland,
equal to thirteen shillings and four pence.
3. A German coin and money of account. See
Mark.
Mar"can*tant (?), n. [It.
mercatante. See Merchant.] A
merchant. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mar"ca*site (?), n. [F.
marcassite; cf. It. marcassita, Sp.
marquesita, Pg. marquezita; all fr. Ar.
marqash\'c6tha.] (Min.) A
sulphide of iron resembling pyrite or common iron pyrites in
composition, but differing in form; white iron pyrites.
Golden marcasite, tin.
[Obs.]
{ Mar`ca*sit"ic (?),
Mar`ca*sit"ic*al (?), } a.
Containing, or having the nature of, marcasite.
Mar*cas"sin (?), n. [F.]
(Her.) A young wild boar.
\'d8Mar*ca"to (?), a.
[It.] (Mus.) In a marked emphatic
manner; -- used adverbially as a direction.
Mar"cel*ine (?), n. [F., fr. L.
marcidus withered, fr. marcere to wither,
shrivel.] A thin silk fabric used for linings, etc.,
in ladies' dresses.
Mar*ces"cent (?), a. [L.
marcescens, p. pr. of marcescere to wither,
decay, fr. marcere to wither, droop: cf. F.
marcescent.] (Bot.) Withering
without
Mar*ces"ci*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
marcescible.] Li
March (?), n. [L. Martius
mensis Mars'month fr. Martius belonging to
Mars, the god of war: cf. F. mars. Cf.
Martial.] The third month of the year,
containing thirty-one days.
The stormy March is come at last,
With wind, and cloud, and changing skies.
Bryant.
As mad as a March Hare, an old English Saying
derived from the fact that March is the rutting time of hares,
when they are excitable and violent.
Wright.
March, n. [OE. marche, F.
marche; of German origin; cf. OHG. marcha,
G. mark, akin to OS. marka, AS.
mearc, Goth. marka, L. margo
edge, border, margin, and possibly to E. mark a sign.
Margin, Margrave, Marque,
Marquis.] A territorial border or frontier; a
region adjacent to a boundary line; a confine; -- used chiefly in
the plural, and in English history applied especially to the
border land on the frontiers between England and Scotland, and
England and Wales.
Geneva is situated in the marches of several
dominions -- France, Savoy, and Switzerland.
Fuller.
Lords of waste marches, kings of desolate
isles.
Tennyson.
March, v. i. [Cf. OF.
marchir. See 2d March.] To border;
to be contiguous; to lie side by side. [Obs.]
That was in a strange land
Which marcheth upon Chimerie.
Gower.
To march with, to have the same boundary for a
greater or less distance; -- said of an estate.
March, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Marched (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Marching.] [F.
marcher, in OF. also, to tread, prob. fr. L.
marcus hammer. Cf. Mortar.] 1.
To move with regular steps, as a soldier; to walk in a
grave, deliberate, or stately manner; to advance steadily.
Shak.
2. To proceed by walking in a body or in military
order; as, the German army marched into
France.
March, v. t. TO cause to move with
regular steps in the manner of a soldier; to cause to move in
military array, or in a body, as troops; to cause to advance in a
steady, regular, or stately manner; to cause to go by peremptory
command, or by force.
March them again in fair array.
Prior.
March, n. [F. marche.]
1. The act of marching; a movement of soldiers from
one stopping place to another; military progress; advance of
troops.
These troops came to the army harassed with a long and
wearisome march.
Bacon.
2. Hence: Measured and regular advance or movement,
like that of soldiers moving in order; stately or deliberate
walk; steady onward movement.
With solemn march
Goes slow and stately by them.
Shak.
This happens merely because men will not bide their time, but
will insist on precipitating the march of affairs.
Buckle.
3. The distance passed over in marching; as, an
hour's march; a march of twenty
miles.
4. A piece of music designed or fitted to accompany
and guide the movement of troops; a piece of music in the march
form.
The drums presently striking up a march.
Knolles.
To make a march, (Card Playing), to
take all the tricks of a hand, in the game of euchre.
Mach"er (?), n. One who
marches.
March"er, n. [See 2d
March.] The lord or officer who defended the
marches or borders of a territory.
{ Mar"chet (?), Mer"chet
(?) }, n. [LL.
marcheta; of uncertain origin.] In old
English and in Scots law, a fine paid to the lord of the soil by
a tenant upon the marriage of one the tenant's daughters.
March"ing (?), a. & n.,fr.
March, v.
Marching money (Mil.), the
additional pay of officer or soldier when his regiment is
marching. -- In marching order (Mil.),
equipped for a march. -- Marching regiment.
(Mil.) (a) A regiment in active
service. (b) In England, a regiment liable to
be ordered into other quarters, at home or abroad; a regiment of
the line.
Mar"chion-ess (?), n. [LL.
marchionissa, fr. marchio a marquis. See
Marquis.] The wife or the widow of a
marquis; a woman who has the rank and dignity of a marquis.
Spelman.
March"-mad` (?), a. Extremely
rash; foolhardy. See under March, the month.
Sir W. Scott.
March"man (?), n. A person
living in the marches between England and Scotland or
Wales.
March"pane` (?), n. [Cf. It.
marzapane,Sp. pan,. massepain,
prob. fr. L. maza frumenty (Gr. ma^za) + L.
panis bread; but perh. the first part of the word is
from the name of the inventor.] A kind of sweet bread
or biscuit; a cake of pounded almonds and sugar.
[Obs.]<-- = marzipan -->
Shak.
March"-ward` (?), n. A warden
of the marches; a marcher.
Mar"cian (?), a. Under the
influence of Mars; courageous; bold. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mar"cid (?), a. [L.
marcidus, fr. marcere to wither,
pine.] 1. Pining; lean; withered.
Dryden.
2. Characterized by emaciation, as a fever.
Harvey.
Mar-cid"i-ty (?), n. [LL.
marciditas.] The state or quality of being
withered or lean. [R.]
<-- p. 895 -->
Mar"cion*ite (?), n. (Eccl.
Hist) A follower of Marcion, a Gnostic of
the second century, who adopted the Oriental notion of the two
conflicting principles, and imagined that between them there
existed a third power, neither wholly good nor evil, the Creator
of the world and of man, and the God of the Jewish
dispensation.
Brande & C.
\'d8Mar`co*brun"ner (?), n. [G.
Marcobrunner.] A celebrated Rhine
wine.
\'d8Mar"cor (?), n. [L., fr.
marcere to wither.] A wasting away of
flesh; decay. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Mar*co"sian (?), n. (Eccl.
Hist.) One of a Gnostic sect of the second century, so
called from Marcus, an Egyptian, who was reputed to be
a margician.
\'d8Mar"di` gras" (?), n. [F.,
literally, fat Tuesday.] The last day of Carnival;
Shrove Tuesday; -- in some cities a great day of carnival and
merrymaking.
Mare (?), n. [OE.
mere, AS. mere, myre, fem of
AS. mearh horse, akin to D. merrie mare, G.
m\'84hre, OHG. marah horse,
meriha mare, Icel. marr horse, OCelt.
marka (Pausan. 19, 19,4), Ir. marc, W.
march. Cf. Marshal.] The female of
the horse and other equine quadrupeds.
Mare, n. [AS. mara incubus;
akin to OHG. & Icel. mara; cf. Pol. mora,
Bohem. m.] (Med.) Sighing,
suffocative panting, intercepted utterance, with a sense of
pressure across the chest, occurring during sleep; the incubus;
-- obsolete, except in the compound nightmare.
I will ride thee o' nights like the mare.
Shak.
Mare"chal Niel" (?). [F.] A
kind of large yellow rose. [Written also
Marshal Niel.]
Mar"eis (?), n. A Marsh.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Ma*re"na (?), n. [NL.
Salmo maraena, G. mar\'84ne,
mor\'84ne; -- so called from Lake Morin, in
the March of Brandenburg, in Prussia.]
(Zo\'94l.) A European whitefish of the genus
Coregonus.
Mare"schal (?), n. [OF.
mareschal, F. mar\'82chal. See
Marshal.] A military officer of high rank; a
marshal. [Obs.]
Mare's"-nest` (?), n. A
supposed discovery which turns out to be a hoax; something
grosaly absurd.
Mare's"-tail` (?), n. 1.
A long streaky cloud, spreading out like a horse's tail, and
believed to indicate rain; a cirrus cloud. See
Cloud.
Mackerel sky and mare's-tails
Make tall ships carry low sails.
Old Rhyme.
2. (Bot.) An aquatic plant of the genus
Hippuris (H.vulgaris), having narrow leaves
in whorls.
Mar"ga*rate (?), n. [Cf. F.
margarate.] (Physiol. Chem.) A
compound of the so-called margaric acid with a base.
Mar*gar"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
margarique. See Margarite.]
Pertaining to, or resembling, pearl; pearly.
Margaric acid. (a) (Physiol.
Chem.) A fatty body, crystallizing in pearly scales,
and obtained by digesting saponified fats (soaps) with an acid.
It was formerly supposed to be an individual fatty acid, but is
now known to be simply an intimate mixture of stearic and
palmitic acids. (b) (Chem.) A white,
crystalline substance, C17H34O2 of the fatty
acid series, intermediate between palmitic and stearic acids, and
obtained from the wax of certain lichens, from cetyl cyanide, and
other sources.
Mar"ga*rin (?), n. [Cf. F.
margarine. See Margarite.]
(Physiol. Chem.) A fatty substance, extracted
from animal fats and certain vegetable oils, formerly supposed to
be a definite compound of glycerin and margaric acid, but now
known to be simply a mixture or combination of tristearin and
teipalmitin.
Mar`as*ri*ta"ceous (?), a.
Pertaining to, or resembling, pearl; pearly.
Mar"ga*rite (?), n. [L.
margarita, Gr. marguerite.] 1. A pearl.
[Obs.]
Peacham.
2. (Min.) A mineral related to the
micas, but low in silica and yielding brittle folia with pearly
luster.
Mar`ga*rit"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
margaritique.] (Physiol. Chem.)
Margaric.
Mar`ga*ri*tif"er*ous (?), a.
[L. margaritifer; margarita pearl +
ferre to bear: cf. F.
margaritif\'8are.] Producing pearls.
Mar*gar"o*dite (?), n. [Gr. (Min.) A hidrous potash mica
related to muscovite.
Mar"ga*rone (?), n.
[Margaric + -one.]
(Chem.) The ketone of margaric acid.
Mar"ga*rous (?), a.
(Chem.) Margaric; -- formerly designating a
supposed acid. [Obs.]
Mar"gate fish" (?). (Zo\'94l.)
A sparoid fish (Diabasis aurolineatus) of the
Gulf of Mexico, esteemed as a food fish; -- called also
red-mouth grunt.
Mar"gay (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) An American wild cat (Felis
tigrina), ranging from Mexico to Brazil. It is spotted with
black. Called also long-tailed cat.
Marge (?), n. [F.
marge. See Margin.] Border;
margin; edge; verge. [Poetic]
Tennyson.
Along the river's stony marge.
Wordsworth.
Mar"gent (?), n. [OE. See
Margin.] A margin; border; brink; edge.
[Obs.]
The beached margent of the sea.
Shak.
Mar"gent, v. t. To enter or note down
upon the margin of a page; to margin. [Obs.]
Mir. for Mag.
Mar"gin (?), n. [OE.
margine, margent, L. margo,
ginis. Cf. March a border,
Marge.] 1. A border; edge; brink;
verge; as, the margin of a river or lake.
2. Specifically: The part of a page at the edge
left uncovered in writing or printing.
3. (Com.) The difference between the
cost and the selling price of an article.
4. Something allowed, or reserved, for that which
can not be foreseen or known with certainty.
5. (Brokerage) Collateral security
deposited with a broker to secure him from loss on contracts
entered into by him on behalf of his principial, as in the
speculative buying and selling of stocks, wheat, etc.
N. Biddle.
Margin draft (Masonry), a smooth
cut margin on the face of hammer-dressed ashlar, adjacent to the
joints. -- Margin of a course (Arch.),
that part of a course, as of slates or shingles, which is not
covered by the course immediately above it. See 2d
Gauge.
Syn. -- Border; brink; verge; brim; rim.
Mar"gin (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Margined
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Marginging.] 1. To furnish
with a margin.
2. To enter in the margin of a page.
Mar"gin*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
marginal.] 1. Of or pertaining to
a margin.
2. Written or printed in the margin; as, a
marginal note or gloss.
\'d8Mar`gi*na"li*a (?), n. pl.
[NL.] Marginal notes.
Mar"gin*al*ly, adv. In the margin of a
book.
Mar"gin*ate (?), a. [L.
marginatus, p. p. of marginare to margin.
See Margin, n.] Having a margin
distinct in appearance or structure.
Mar"gin*ate (?), v. t. To
furnish with a distinct margin; to margin.
[R.]
Cockeram.
Mar"gin*a`ted (?), a. Same as
Marginate, a.
Mar"gined (?), a. 1.
Having a margin.
Hawthorne.
2. (Zo\'94l.) Bordered with a distinct
line of color.
\'d8Mar`gi*nel"la (?), n. [NL.,
dim. of L. margo, marginis, a
margin.] (Zo\'94l.) A genus of small,
polished, marine univalve shells, native of all warm seas.
Mar"gin*i*ci`dal (?), a. [L.
margo, -ginis, margin + caedere
to cut.] (Bot.) Dehiscent by the separation
of united carpels; -- said of fruits.
Mar*go"sa (?), n. [Pg.
amargoso bitter.] (Bot.) A large
tree of genus Melia (M. Azadirachta) found
in India. Its bark is bitter, and used as a tonic. A valuable oil
is expressed from its seeds, and a tenacious gum exudes from its
trunk. The M. Azedarach is a much more showy tree, and
is cultivated in the Southern United States, where it is known as
Pride of India, Pride of China, or
bead tree. Various parts of the tree are considered
anthelmintic.
The margosa oil . . . is a most valuable balsam for
wounds, having a peculiar smell which prevents the attacks of
flies.
Sir S. Baker.
{ Mar"gra*vate (?),
Mar*gra"vi*ate (?), } n.
[Cf. F. margraviat.] The territory or
jurisdiction of a margrave.
Mar"grave (?), n. [G.
markgraf, prop., lord chief justice of the march;
mark bound, border, march + graf earl,
count, lord chief justice; cf. Goth. gagr\'89fts
decree: cf. D. markgraaf, F. margrave. See
March border, and cf. Landgrave,
Graff.] 1. Originally, a lord or
keeper of the borders or marches in Germany.
2. The English equivalent of the German title of
nobility, markgraf; a marquis.
Mar"gra*vine (?), n. [G.
markgr\'84fin: cf. F. margrafine.]
The wife of a margrave.
Mar"gue*rite (?), n. [F., a
pearl, a daisy. See Margarite.] (Bot.)
The daisy (Bellis perennis). The name is often
applied also to the ox-eye daisy and to the China aster.
Longfellow.
Ma"ri*an (?), a. Pertaining to
the Virgin Mary, or sometimes to Mary, Queen of England, daughter
of Henry VIII.
Of all the Marian martyrs, Mr. Philpot was the
best-born gentleman.
Fuller.
Maid Marian. See Maidmarian in the
Vocabulary.
<-- 2. a prominent character in the legend of Robin Hood -->
Mar"ie (?), interj.
Marry. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mar"i*et (?), n. [F.
mariette, prop. dim. of Marie Mary.]
(Bot.) A kind of bellflower, Companula
Trachelium, once called Viola Mariana; but it is
not a violet.
Ma*rig"e*nous (?), a. [L.
mare the sea + -genous.]
Produced in or by the sea.
Mar"i*gold (?), n.
[Mary + gold.] (Bot.)
A name for several plants with golden yellow blossoms,
especially the Calendula officinalis (see
Calendula), and the cultivated species of
Tagetes.
African of the genus Tagetes, of which
several species and many varieties are found in gardens. They are
mostly strong-smelling herbs from South America and Mexico:
bur marigold, of the genus Bidens;
corn marigold, of the genus
Chrysanthemum (C. segetum, a pest in the
cornfields of Italy); fig marigold, of the genus
Mesembryanthemum; marsh marigold, of
the genus Caltha (C. palustris), commonly
known in America as the cowslip. See Marsh
Marigold.
Marigold window. (Arch.) See
Rose window, under Rose.
Mar`i*ki"na (?), n. [From the
native name: cf. Pg. mariquinha.]
(Zo\'94l) A small marmoset (Midas
rosalia); the silky tamarin.
\'d8Ma*rim"ba (?), n.
[Pg.] A musical istrument of percussion,
consisting of bars yielding musical tones when struck.
Knight.
\'d8Mar`i*mon"da (?), n.
[Sp.] (Zo\'94l.) A spider monkey
(Ateles belzebuth) of Central and South America.
Mar`i*nade" (?), n. [F.: cf.
It. marinato marinade, F. mariner to
preserve food for use at sea. See Marinate.]
(Cookery) A brine or pickle containing wine and
spices, for enriching the flavor of meat and fish.
Mar"i*nate (?), v. t. [See
Marine, and cf. Marinade.] To salt
or pickle, as fish, and then preserve in oil or vinegar; to
prepare by the use of marinade.
Ma*rine" (?), a. [L.
marinus, fr. mare the sea: cf. F.
marin. See Mere a pool.] 1.
Of or pertaining to the sea; having to do with the ocean, or
with navigation or naval affairs; nautical; as,
marine productions or bodies; marine shells; a
marine engine.
2. (Geol.) Formed by the action of the
currents or waves of the sea; as, marine
deposits.
Marine acid (Chem.), hydrochloric
acid. [Obs.] -- Marine barometer.
See under Barometer. -- Marine
corps, a corps formed of the officers, noncommissioned
officers, privates, and musicants of marines.<-- officially
part of the navy, but now considered one of the four branches of
the armed forces in the US --> -- Marine engine
(Mech.), a steam engine for propelling a
vessel. -- Marine glue. See under
Glue. -- Marine insurance, insurance
against the perils of the sea, including also risks of fire,
piracy, and barratry. -- Marine interest,
interest at any rate agreed on for money lent upon
respondentia and bottomry bonds. -- Marine law.
See under Law. -- Marine league,
three geographical miles. -- Marine metal,
an alloy of lead, antimony, and mercury, made for sheathing
ships. Mc Elrath. -- Marine soap,
cocoanut oil soap; -- so called because, being quite soluble
in salt water, it is much used on shipboard. -- Marine
store, a store where old canvas, ropes, etc., are
bought and sold; a junk shop. [Eng.]
Ma*rine", n. [F. marin a sea
solider, marine naval economy, a marine picture, fr.
L. marinus. See Marine, a.]
1. A solider serving on shipboard; a sea soldier;
one of a body of troops trained to do duty in the navy.
<-- a member of the marine corps -->
2. The sum of naval affairs; naval economy; the
department of navigation and sea forces; the collective shipping
of a country; as, the mercantile marine.
3. A picture representing some marine
subject.
Tell that to the marines, an expression of
disbelief, the marines being regarded by sailors as
credulous. [Colloq.]
Ma*rined" (?), a. [Cf. F.
marin\'82.] (Her.) Having the
lower part of the body like a fish.
Crabb.
Mar"i*ner (?), n. [F.
marinier, LL. marinarius. See
Marine.] One whose occupation is to assist in
navigating ships; a seaman or sailor.
Chaucer.
Mariner's compass. See under
Compass.
Mar"i*ner*ship, n. Seamanship.
[Obs.]
Udalt.
Mar`i*no*ra"ma (?), n. [NL.,
from L. marinus marine + Gr. A
representation of a sea view.
Ma`ri*ol"a*ter (?), n. [See
Mariolatry.] One who worships the Virgin
Mary.
Ma`ri*ol"a*try (?), n. [Gr. The worship of the Virgin
Mary.
Mar`i*o*nette" (?), n. [F.
marionette, prop. a dim. of Marie
Mary.] 1. A puppet moved by strings, as in a
puppet show.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The buffel duck.
Ma`ri*otte's law` (?). (Physics.)
See Boyle's law, under Law.
Ma`ri*po"sa lil`y (?). [Sp.
mariposa a butterfly + E. lily. So called
from the gay apperance of the blossoms.] (Bot.)
One of a genus (Calochortus) of tuliplike bulbous
herbs with large, and often gaycolored, blossoms. Called also
butterfly lily. Most of them are natives of
California.
Mar"i*put (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A species of civet; the zoril.
Mar"ish (?), n. [Cf. F.
marais, LL. marascus. See
Marsh.] Low, wet ground; a marsh; a fen; a
bog; a moor. [Archaic]
Milton. Tennyson.
Mar"ish, a. 1. Moory; fenny;
boggy. [Archaic]
2. Growing in marshes. \'bdMarish
flowers.\'b8
Tennyson.
Mar"i*tal (?), a. [F., fr. L.
maritalis, fr. maritus belonging to
marriage, n., a husband. See Marry,
v.] Of or pertaining to a husband; as,
marital rights, duties, authority.
\'bdMarital affection.\'b8
Ayliffe.
Mar"i*ta`ted (?), a. [L.
maritatus married.] Having a husband;
married. [Obs.]
{ Ma*rit"i*mal, Ma*rit"i*male }
(?), a. See Maritime.
[Obs.]
Mar"i*time (?), a. [L.
maritimus, fr. mare the sea: cf. F.
maritime. See Mere a pool.] 1.
Bordering on, or situated near, the ocean; connected with
the sea by site, interest, or power; having shipping and commerce
or a navy; as, maritime states. \'bdA
maritime town.\'b8
Addison.
2. Of or pertaining to the ocean; marine;
pertaining to navigation and naval affairs, or to shipping and
commerce by sea. \'bdMaritime service.\'b8
Sir H. Wotton.
Maritime law. See Law. --
Maritime loan, a loan secured by bottomry or
respodentia bonds. -- Martime nations,
nations having seaports, and using the sea more or less for
war or commerce.
Mar"jo*ram (?), n. [OE.
majoran, F. marjolaine, LL.
marjoraca, fr. L. amaracus,
amaracum, Gr. (Bot.)
A genus of mintlike plants (Origanum) comprising
about twenty-five species. The sweet marjoram (O.
Majorana) is pecularly aromatic and fragrant, and much used
in cookery. The wild marjoram of Europe and America is O.
vulgare, far less fragrant than the other.
Mark (?), n. A license of
reprisals. See Marque.
Mark, n. [See 2d Marc.]
1. An old weight and coin. See Marc.
\'bdLend me a mark.\'b8
Chaucer.
2. The unit of monetary account of the German
Empire, equal to 23.8 cents of United States money; the
equivalent of one hundred pfennigs. Also, a silver coin of this
value.
<-- in 1995, approx. 65 cents American -->
Mark, n. [OE. marke,
merke, AS. mearc; akin to D.
merk, MHG. marc, G. marke, Icel.
mark, Dan. m\'91rke; cf. Lith.
margas party-colored. Remark.] 1. A visible sign or
impression made or left upon anything; esp., a line, point,
stamp, figure, or the like, drawn or impressed, so as to attract
the attention and convey some information or intimation; a token;
a trace.
The Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him
should kill him.
Gen. iv. 15.
<-- p. 896 -->
2. Specifically: (a) A character or device
put on an article of merchandise by the maker to show by whom it
was made; a trade-mark. (b) A character
(usually a cross) made as a substitute for a signature by one who
can not write.
The mark of the artisan is found upon the most
ancient fabrics that have come to light.
Knight.
3. A fixed object serving for guidance, as of a
ship, a traveler, a surveyor, etc.; as, a seamark, a
landmark.
4. A trace, dot, line, imprint, or discoloration,
although not regarded as a token or sign; a scratch, scar, stain,
etc.; as, this pencil makes a fine mark.
I have some marks of yours upon my pate.
Shak.
5. An evidence of presence, agency, or influence; a
significative token; a symptom; a trace; specifically, a
permanent impression of one's activity or character.
The confusion of tongues was a mark of
separation.
Bacon.
6. That toward which a missile is directed; a thing
aimed at; what one seeks to hit or reach.
France was a fairer mark to shoot at than
Ireland.
Davies.
Whate'er the motive, pleasure is the mark.
Young.
7. Attention, regard, or respect.
As much in mock as mark.
Shak.
8. Limit or standard of action or fact; as, to
be within the mark; to come up to the
mark.
9. Badge or sign of honor, rank, or official
station.
In the official marks invested, you
Anon do meet the Senate.
Shak.
10. Pre\'89minence; high position; as,
particians of mark; a fellow of no
mark.
11. (Logic) A characteristic or
essential attribute; a differential.
12. A number or other character used in registring;
as, examination marks; a mark for
tardiness.
13. Image; likeness; hence, those formed in one's
image; children; descendants. [Obs.] \'bdAll
the mark of Adam.\'b8
Chaucer.
14. (Naut.) One of the bits of leather
or colored bunting which are placed upon a sounding line at
intervals of from two to five fathoms. The unmarked fathoms are
called \'bddeeps.\'b8
A man of mark, a conspicuous or eminent
man. -- To make one's mark. (a) To
sign, as a letter or other writing, by making a cross or other
mark. (b) To make a distinct or lasting
impression on the public mind, or on affairs; to gain
distinction.
Syn. -- Impress; impression; stamp; print; trace; vestige;
track; characteristic; evidence; proof; token; badge; indication;
symptom.
Mark (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Marked (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Marking.]
[OE. marken, merken, AS.
mearcian, from mearc. See Mark the
sign.] 1. To put a mark upon; to affix a
significant mark to; to make recognizable by a mark; as, to
mark a box or bale of merchandise; to mark
clothing.
2. To be a mark upon; to designate; to indicate; --
used literally and figuratively; as, this monument
marks the spot where Wolfe died; his courage and energy
marked him for a leader.
3. To leave a trace, scratch, scar, or other mark,
upon, or any evidence of action; as, a pencil marks
paper; his hobnails marked the floor.
4. To keep account of; to enumerate and register;
as, to mark the points in a game of billiards or
cards.
5. To notice or observe; to give attention to; to
take note of; to remark; to heed; to regard.
\'bdMark the perfect man.\'b8
Ps. xxxvii. 37.
To mark out. (a) To designate, as by
a mark; to select; as, the ringleaders were marked out
for punishment. (b) To obliterate or cancel
with a mark; as, to mark out an item in an
account. -- To mark time (Mil.),
to keep the time of a marching step by moving the legs
alternately without advancing.
Syn. -- To note; remark; notice; observe; regard; heed;
show; evince; indicate; point out; betoken; denote; characterize;
stamp; imprint; impress; brand.
Mark, v. i. To take particular notice;
to observe critically; to note; to remark.
Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh
maschief.
1 Kings xx. 7.
Mark"a*ble (?), a.
Remarkable. [Obs.]
Sandys.
Marked (?), a. Designated or
distinguished by, or as by, a mark; hence; noticeable;
conspicuous; as, a marked card; a marked
coin; a marked instance. --
Mark"ed*ly (#), adv.
J. S. Mill.
A marked man, a man who is noted by a
community, or by a part of it, as, for excellence or depravity;
-- usually with an unfavorable suggestion.
Mar*kee" (?), n. See
Marquee.
Mark"er (?), n. One who or that
which marks. Specifically: (a) One who keeps
account of a game played, as of billiards. (b)
A counter used in card playing and other games.
(c) (Mil.) The soldier who forms the
pilot of a wheeling column, or marks the direction of an
alignment. (d) An attachment to a sewing
machine for marking a line on the fabric by creasing it.
Mar"ket (?), n. [Akin to D.
markt, OHG. mark\'bet,
merk\'bet, G. markt; all fr.L.
mercatus trade, market place, fr. mercari,
p. p. mercatus, to trade, traffic, merx,
mercis, ware, merchandise, prob. akin to
merere to deserve, gain, acquire: cf. F.
march\'82. See Merit, and cf.
Merchant, Mart.] 1. A
meeting together of people, at a stated time and place, for the
purpose of traffic (as in cattle, provisions, wares, etc.) by
private purchase and sale, and not by auction; as, a
market is held in the town every week.
He is wit's peddler; and retails his wares
At wakes, and wassails, meetings, markets, fairs.
Shak.
Three women and a goose make a market.
Old Saying.
2. A public place (as an open space in a town) or a
large building, where a market is held; a market place or market
house; esp., a place where provisions are sold.
There is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a
pool.
John v. 2.
3. An opportunity for selling anything; demand, as
shown by price offered or obtainable; a town, region, or country,
where the demand exists; as, to find a market for
one's wares; there is no market for woolen cloths in
that region; India is a market for English
goods.
There is a third thing to be considered: how a
market can be created for produce, or how production
can be limited to the capacities of the market.
J. S. Mill.
4. Exchange, or purchase and sale; traffic; as,
a dull market; a slow market.
5. The price for which a thing is sold in a market;
market price. Hence: Value; worth.
What is a man
If his chief good and market of his time
Be but to sleep and feed ?
Shak.
6. (Eng. Law) The privelege granted to a
town of having a public market.
Market is often used adjectively, or in
forming compounds of obvious meaning; as, market
basket, market day, market folk,
market house, marketman, market
place, market price, market rate,
market wagon, market woman, and the
like.
Market beater, a swaggering bully; a noisy
braggart. [Obs.] Chaucer. --
Market bell, a bell rung to give notice that
buying and selling in a market may begin. [Eng.]
Shak. -- Market cross, a cross set
up where a market is held. Shak. -- Market
garden, a garden in which vegetables are raised for
market. -- Market gardening, the raising of
vegetables for market. -- Market place, an
open square or place in a town where markets or public sales are
held. -- Market town, a town that has the
privilege of a stated public market.
Mar"ket (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Marketed; p.
pr. & vb. n. Marketing.] To deal
in a market; to buy or sell; to make bargains for provisions or
goods.
Mar"ket, v. t. To expose for sale in a
market; to traffic in; to sell in a market, and in an extended
sense, to sell in any manner; as, most of the farmes have
marketed their crops.
Industrious merchants meet, and market there
The world's collected wealth.
Southey.
Mar"ket*a*ble (?), a. 1.
Fit to be offered for sale in a market; such as may be
justly and lawfully sold; as, dacayemarketable.
2. Current in market; as, marketable
value.
3. Wanted by purchasers; salable; as, furs are
not marketable in that country.
Mar"ket*a*ble*ness, n. Quality of being
marketable.
Mar"ket*er (?), n. One who
attends a market to buy or sell; one who carries goods to
market.
Mar"ket*ing, n. 1. The act of
selling or of purchasing in, or as in, a market.
2. Articles in, or from, a market; supplies.
Mar"ket*stead (?), n.
[Market + stead a place.] A
market place. [Obs.]
Drayton.
\'d8Mark"hoor` (?), n. [Per.
m\'ber-kh snake eater.]
(Zo\'94l.) A large wild goat (Capra
megaceros), having huge flattened spiral horns. It inhabits
the mountains of Northern India and Cashmere.
Mark"ing (?), n. The act of one
who, or that which, marks; the mark or marks made; arrangement or
disposition of marks or coloring; as, the marking of
a bird's plumage.
Marking ink, indelible ink, because used in
marking linen. -- Marking nut (Bot.),
the nut of the Semecarpus Anacardium, an East
Indian tree. The shell of the nut yields a blackish resinous
juice used for marking cotton cloth, and an oil prepared from it
is used for rheumatism.
Mar"kis (?), n. A
marquis. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mar"kis*esse (?), n. A
marchioness. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mark"man (?), n. A
marksman. [Obs.]
Shak.
Marks"man (?), n.; pl.
Marksmen (#). [Earlier
markman; mark + man.]
1. One skillful to hit a mark with a missile; one
who shoots well.<-- esp. with a rifle. A designation in
the army. -->
2. (Law) One who makes his mark, instead
of writing his name, in signing documents.
Burrill.
Marks"man*ship, n. Skill of a
marksman.
Marl (?), v. t. [See
Marline.] (Naut.) To cover, as
part of a rope, with marline, marking a pecular hitch at each
turn to prevent unwinding.
Marling spike. (Naut.) See under
Marline.
Marl, n. [OF. marle, F.
marne, LL. margila, dim. of L.
marga marl. Originally a Celtic word, according to
Pliny, xvii. 7: \'bdQuod genus terr\'91 Galli et Britanni
margam vocant.\'b8 A mixed
earthy substance, consisting of carbonate of lime, clay, and
sand, in very varivble proportions, and accordingly designated as
calcareous, clayey, or sandy. See Greensand.
Marl, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Marled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Marling.] [Cf. F. marner.
See Marl, n.] To overspread or
manure with marl; as, to marl a field.
Mar*la"ceous (?), a. Resembling
marl; partaking of the qualities of marl.
Mar"lin (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The American great marbled godwit
(Limosa fedoa). Applied also to the red-breasted
godwit (Limosa h\'91matica).
Hook-billed marlin, a curlew.
<-- 2. [from marlinspike, the shape of its bill] any of several
marine billfishes of the genera Makaira and Tetrapturus, popular
as game in sport fishing -->
Mar"line (?), n. [LG.
marlien, marling, or D. marling,
marlijn, fr. D. marren to tie, prob. akin
to E. moor, v., and lijn line: cf.F.
merlin. See Moor, v.,
Line.] (Naut.) A small line
composed of two strands a little twisted, used for winding around
ropes and cables, to prevent their being weakened by
fretting.
Marline spike, Marling spike
(Naut.), an iron tool tapering to a point, used to
separate the strands of a rope in splicing and in marling. It has
an eye in the thick end to which a lanyard is attached. See
Fid. [Written also marlin
spike] -- Marline-spike bird. [The
name alludes to the long middle tail feathers.]
(Zo\'94l.) (a) A tropic bird.
(b) A jager, or skua gull.
Mar"line (?), v. t. [F.
merliner.] (Naut.) To wind
marline around; as, to marline a rope.
Marl"ite (?), n. [Cf. F.
marlite. See Marl, n.]
(Min.) A variety of marl.
Mar*lit"ic (?), a. Partaking of
the qualites of marlite.
Marl"pit` (?), n. Apit where
marl is dug.
Marl"stone` (?), n.
(Geol.) A sandy calcareous straum, containing, or
impregnated with, iron, and lying between the upper and lower
Lias of England.
Marl"y (?), a.
[Compar. Marlier (?);
superl. Marliest.]
Consisting or partaking of marl; resembling marl; abounding
with marl.
Mar"ma*lade (?), n. [F.
marmelade, Pg. marmelada, fr.
marm\'82lo a quince, fr. L. melimelum honey
apple, Gr. Mellifluous,
Melon.] A preserve or confection made of the
pulp of fruit, as the quince, pear, apple, orange, etc., boiled
with sugar, and brought to a jamlike consistence.
Marmalade tree (Bot.), a
sapotaceous tree (Lucuma mammosa) of the West Indies
and Tropical America. It has large obovate leaves and an
egg-shaped fruit from three to five inches long, containing a
pleasant-flavored pulp and a single large seed. The fruit is
called marmalade, or natural marmalade, from
its consistency and flavor.
<-- produces -->
Mar"ma*let` (?), n. See
Marmalade. [Obs.]
Mar"ma*tite (?), n. [Cf. F.
marmatite.] (Min.) A ferruginous
variety of shalerite or zinc blende, nearly black in color.
Mar"mo*lite (?), n. [Gr. -lite.] (Min.) A thin,
laminated variety of serpentine, usually of a pale green
color.
Mar`mo*ra"ceous (?), a. [L.
marmor marble. See Marble.]
Pertaining to, or like, marble.
{ Mar"mo*rate (?), Mar"mo*ra`ted
(?), } a. [L.
marmoratus, p. p. of marmorate to overlay
with marble, fr. marmor marble.] Variegated
like marble; covered or overlaid with marble.
[R.]
Mar`mo*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
marmoratio.] A covering or incrusting with
marble; a casing of marble; a variegating so as to resemble
marble. [R.]
\'d8Mar`mo*ra`tum o"pus (?). [L. See
Marmorate, and Opus.] (Arch.)
A kind of hard finish for plasterwork, made of plaster of
Paris and marble dust, and capable of taking a high polish.
{ Mar*mo"re*al (?), Mar*mo"re*an
(?), } a. [L.
marmoreus, fr. marmor marble: cf. F.
marmor\'82en. See Marble.]
Pertaining to, or resembling, marble; made of marble.
\'d8Mar`mo*ro"sis (?), n.
[NL.] (Geol.) The metamorphism of
limestone, that is, its conversion into marble.
Geikie.
Mar"mose` (?), n. [F.]
(Zo\'94l.) A species of small opossum
(Didelphus murina) ranging from Mexico to
Brazil.
Mar"mo*set` (?), n. [F.
marmouset a grotesque figure, an ugly little boy,
prob. fr. LL. marmoretum, fr. L. marmor
marble. Perhaps confused with marmot. See
Marble.] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of
numerous species of small South American monkeys of the genera
Hapale and Midas, family
Hapalid\'91. They have long soft fur, and a hairy,
nonprehensile tail. They are often kept as pets. Called also
squirrel monkey.
Mar"mot (?), n. [It.
marmotta, marmotto, prob. fr. L. mus
montanus, or mus montis, lit., mountain mouse or
rat. See Mountain, and Mouse.]
1. (Zo\'94l.) Any rodent of the genus
Arctomys. The common European marmot (A.
marmotta) is about the size of a rabbit, and inhabits the
higher regions of the Alps and Pyrenees. The bobac is another
European species. The common American species (A.
monax) is the woodchuck.<-- related to the woodchuck,
(groundhog) but usually used only for the western variety -->
2. Any one of several species of ground squirrels
or gophers of the genus Spermophilus; also, the
prairie dog.
Marmot squirrel (Zo\'94l.), a
ground squirrel or spermophile. -- Prairie
marmot. See Prairie dog.
Mar"mottes oil` (?). A fine oil obtained
from the kernel of Prunus brigantiaca. It is used
instead of olive or almond oil.
De Colange.
Mar"mo*zet` (?), n. See
Marmoset.
Ma*rone" (?), n. See
Maroon, the color.
Mar"o*nite (?), n.; pl.
Maronites (. (Eccl.
Hist.) One of a body of nominal Christians, who speak
the Arabic language, and reside on Mount Lebanon and in different
parts of Syria. They take their name from one Maron of
the 6th century.
Ma*roon" (?), n. [Written
also marroon.] [F. marron,
abbrev. fr. Sp. cimarron wild, unruly, from
cima the summit of a mountain; hence, negro
cimarron a runaway negro that lives in the
mountains.] In the West Indies and Guiana, a fugitive
slave, or a free negro, living in the mountains.
Ma*roon", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Marooned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Marooning.] [See
Maroon a fugitive slave.] To put (a person)
ashore on a desolate island or coast and leave him to his
fate.
Marooning party, a social excursion party that
sojourns several days on the shore or in some retired place; a
prolonged picnic. [Southern U. S.]
Bartlett.
<-- p. 897 -->
Ma*roon" (?), a. [F.
marron chestnut-colored, fr. marron a large
French chestnut, It. marrone; cf. LGr. Marron.] Having the color called maroon. See
4th Maroon.
Maroon lake, lake prepared from madder, and
distinguished for its transparency and the depth and durability
of its color.
Ma*roon", n. 1. A brownish or
dull red of any description, esp. of a scarlet cast rather than
approaching crimson or purple.
2. An explosive shell. See Marron,
3.
Mar"plot` (?), n. One who, by
his officious
Marque (?), n. [F.
marque, in lettre de marque letter of
marque, a commission with which the commandant of every armed
vessel was obliged to be provided, under penalty of being
considered a pirate or corsair; marque here prob.
meaning, border, boundary (the letter of marque being a
permission to go beyond the border), and of German origin. See
March border.] (Law) A license to
pass the limits of a jurisdiction, or boundary of a country, for
the purpose of making reprisals.
Letters of marque, Letters of marque
and reprisal, a license or extraordinary
commission granted by a government to a private person to fit out
a privateer or armed ship to cruise at sea and make prize of the
enemy's ships and merchandise. The ship so commissioned is
sometimes called a letter of marque.
<-- privateer -->
Mar*quee" (?), n. [F.
marquise, misunderstood as a plural; prob. orig., tent
of the marchioness. See Marquis.] A large
field tent; esp., one adapted to the use of an officer of high
rank. [Written also markee.]
Mar"quess (?), n. [Cf. Sp.
marques. See Marquis.] A
marquis.
Lady marquess, a marchioness.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Mar"quet*ry (?), n. [F.
marqueterie, from marqueter to checker,
inlay, fr. marque mark, sign; of German origin. See
Mark a sign.] Inlaid work; work inlaid with
pieces of wood, shells, ivory, and the like, of several
colors.
Mar"quis (?), n. [F.
marquis, OF. markis, marchis,
LL. marchensis; of German origin; cf. G.
mark bound, border, march, OHG. marcha. See
March border, and cf. Marchioness,
Marquee, Marquess.] A nobleman in
England, France, and Germany, of a rank next below that of duke.
Originally, the marquis was an officer whose duty was to guard
the marches or frontiers of the kingdom. The office has ceased,
and the name is now a mere title conferred by patent.
Mar"quis*ate (?), n. [Cf. F.
marquisat.] The seigniory, dignity, or
lordship of a marquis; the territory governed by a marquis.
Mar"quis*dom (?), n. A
marquisate. [Obs.] \'bdNobles of the
marquisdom of Saluce.\'b8
Holinshed.
\'d8Mar`quise" (?), n. [F. See
Marquis, and cf. Marquee.] The wife
of a marquis; a marchioness.
Mar"quis*ship (?), n. A
marquisate.
Mar"ram (?), n. (Bot.)
A coarse grass found on sandy beaches (Ammophila
arundinacea). See Beach grass, under
Beach.
Mar"rer (?), n. One who mars or
injures.
Mar"ri*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
mariable.] Marriageable.
[R.]
Coleridge.
Mar"riage (?), n. [OE.
mariage, F. mariage. See Marry,
v. t.] 1. The act of marrying, or
the state of being married; legal union of a man and a woman for
life, as husband and wife; wedlock; matrimony.
Marriage is honorable in all.
Heb. xiii. 4.
2. The marriage vow or contract.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
3. A feast made on the occasion of a
marriage.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a
marriage for his son.
Matt. xxii. 2.
4. Any intimate or close union.
Marriage brokage. (a) The business of
bringing about marriages. (b) The payment made
or demanded for the procurement of a marriage. --
Marriage favors, knots of white ribbons, or
bunches of white flowers, worn at weddings. -- Marriage
settlement (Law), a settlement of property
in view, and in consideration, of marriage.
Syn. -- Matrimony; wedlock; wedding; nuptials.
-- Marriage, Matrimony, Wedlock.
Marriage is properly the act which unites
the two parties, and matrimony the state
into which they enter. Marriage is, however, often
used for the state as well as the act. Wedlock is the
old Anglo-Saxon term for matrimony.
Mar`riage*a*bil"i*ty (?), n.
The quality or state of being marriageable.
Mar"riage*a*ble (?), a. Fit
for, or capable of, marriage; of an age at which marriage is
allowable. -- Mar"riage*a*ble*ness,
n.
Marr"ried (?), a. 1.
Being in the state of matrimony; wedded; as, a
married man or woman.
2. Of or pertaining to marriage; connubial; as,
the married state.
Mar"ri*er (?), n. One who
marries.
Mar*ron" (?), n. [See
Maroon, a.]
1. A large chestnut. [Obs.]
Holland.
2. A chestnut color; maroon.
3. (Pyrotechny & Mil.) A paper or
pasteboard box or shell, wound about with strong twine, filled
with an explosive, and ignited with a fuse, -- used to make a
noise like a cannon. [Written also
maroon.]
Mar*roon" (?), n. & a. Same as
1st Maroon.
Mar"rot (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) (a) The razor-billed auk. See
Auk. (b) The common guillemot.
(c) The puffin. [Prov. Eng.]
[Written also marrott, and
morrot.]
Mar"row (?), n. [OE.
marou, mary, maruh, AS.
mearg, mearh; akin to OS. marg,
D. merg, G. Mark, OHG. marg,
marag, Icel. mergr, Sw. merg,
Dan. marv, Skr. majjan; cf. Skr.
majj to sink, L. mergere. Merge.]
1. (Anat.) The tissue which fills the
cavities of most bones; the medulla. In the larger cavities it is
commonly very fatty, but in the smaller cavities it is much less
fatty, and red or reddish in color.
2. The essence; the best part.
It takes from our achievements . . .
The pith and marrow of our attribute.
Shak.
3. [OE. maru, maro; -- perh.
a different word; cf. Gael. maraon together.]
One of a pair; a match; a companion; an intimate
associate. [Scot.]
Chopping and changing I can not commend,
With thief or his marrow, for fear of ill end.
Tusser.
Marrow squash (Bot.), a name given
to several varieties of squash, esp. to the Boston
marrow, an ovoid fruit, pointed at both ends, and with
reddish yellow flesh, and to the vegetable
marrow, a variety of an ovoid form, and having a soft
texture and fine grain resembling marrow. -- Spinal
marrow. (Anat.) See Spinal
cord, under Spinal.
Mar"row (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Marrowed
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Marrowing.] To fill with, or as with,
marrow of fat; to glut.
Mar"row*bone` (?), n. A bone
containing marrow; pl. ludicrously, knee bones or
knees; as, to get down on one's marrowbones, i.
e., to kneel.
Mar"row*fat (?), n. A rich but
late variety of pea.
Mar"row*ish, a. Of the nature of, or
like, marrow.
Mar"row*less, a. Destitute of
marrow.
Mar"row*y (?), a. Full of
marrow; pithy.
\'d8Mar*ru"bi*um (?), n.
[L.] (Bot.) A genus of bitter aromatic
plants, sometimes used in medicine; hoarhound.
Mar"ry (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Married
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Marrying.] [OE. marien, F.
marier, L. maritare, fr. maritus
husband, fr. mas, maris, a male. See
Male, and cf. Maritral.] 1.
To unite in wedlock or matrimony; to perform the ceremony of
joining, as a man and a woman, for life; to constitute (a man and
a woman) husband and wife according to the laws or customs of the
place.
Tell him that he shall marry the couple
himself.
Gay.
2. To join according to law, (a man) to a woman as
his wife, or (a woman) to a man as her husband. See the Note to
def. 4.
A woman who had been married to her twenty-fifth
husband, and being now a widow, was prohibited to marry.
Evelyn.
3. To dispose of in wedlock; to give away as
wife.
M\'91cenas took the liberty to tell him [Augustus] that he
must either marry his daughter [Julia] to Agrippa, or
take away his life.
Bacon.
4. To take for husband or wife. See the Note
below.
married to or
marries a woman; or, a woman is married to
or marries a man. Both of these uses are equally well
authorized; but given in marriage is said only of the
woman.
They got him [the Duke of Monmouth] . . . to declare in
writing, that the last king [Charles II.] told him he was never
married to his mother.
Bp. Lloyd.
5. Figuratively, to unite in the closest and most
endearing relation.
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am
married unto you.
Jer. iii. 14.
To marry ropes. (Naut.) (a)
To place two ropes along side of each other so that they may
be grasped and hauled on at the same time. (b)
To join two ropes end to end so that both will pass through a
block.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Mar"ry, v. i. To enter into the conjugal
or connubial state; to take a husband or a wife.
I will, therefore, that the younger women
marry.
1 Tim. v. 14.
Marrrying man, a man disposed to marry.
[Colloq.]
Mar"ry, interj. Indeed ! in truth ! -- a
term of asseveration said to have been derived from the practice
of swearing by the Virgin Mary. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mars (?), n. [L.
Mars, gen. Martis, archaic
Mavors, gen. Mavortis.] 1.
(Rom. Myth.) The god of war and husbandry.
2. (Astron.) One of the planets of the
solar system, the fourth in order from the sun, or the next
beyond the earth, having a diameter of about 4,200 miles, a
period of 687 days, and a mean distance of 141,000,000 miles. It
is conspicuous for the redness of its light.
3. (Alchemy) The metallic element iron,
the symbol of which [Archaic]
Chaucer.
Mars brown, a bright, somewhat yellowish,
brown.
Mar*sa"la (?), n. [It., fr.
Marsala, in Sicyly.] A kind of wine
exported from Marsala in Sicily.
\'d8Mars*de"ni*a (?), n. [NL.
From W. Marsden, an English author.]
(Bot.) A genus of plants of the Milkweed family,
mostly woody climbers with fragrant flowers, several species of
which furnish valuable fiber, and one species (Marsdenia
tinctoria) affords indigo.
{ \'d8Mar`sei`llais" (?), a. m.
\'d8Mar`sei`llaise" (?), a. f.
}[F.] Of or pertaining to Marseilles, in
France, or to its inhabitants.
Marseillaise hymn, The
Marseillaise, the national anthem of France,
popularly so called. It was composed in 1792, by Rouget de
l'Isle, an officer then stationed at Strasburg. In Paris it was
sung for the first time by the band of men who came from
Marseilles to aid in the revolution of August 10, 1792; whence
the name.
{ \'d8Mar`sei`llais", n. m.
\'d8Mar`sei`llaise", n. f.
}[F.] A native or inhabitant of
Marseilles.
Mar*seilles" (?), n. A general
term for certain kinds of fabrics, which are formed of two series
of threads interlacing each other, thus forming double cloth,
quilted in the loom; -- so named because first made in
Marseilles, France.
Marsh (?), n. [OE.
mersch, AS. mersc, fr. mere
lake. See Mere pool, and cf. Marish,
Morass.] A tract of soft wet land, commonly
covered partially or wholly with water; a fen; a swamp; a
morass. [Written also marish.]
Marsh asphodel (Bot.), a plant
(Nartheeium ossifragum) with linear equitant leaves,
and a raceme of small white flowers; -- called also bog
asphodel. -- Marsh cinquefoil
(Bot.), a plant (Potentilla palustris)
having purple flowers, and found growing in marshy places; marsh
five-finger. -- Marsh elder. (Bot.)
(a) The guelder-rose or cranberry tree
(Viburnum Opulus). (b) In the United
States, a composite shrub growing in salt marshes (Iva
frutescens). -- Marsh five-finger.
(Bot.) See Marsh cinquefoil
(above). -- Marsh gas. (Chem.) See
under Gas. -- Marsh grass
(Bot.), a genus (Spartina) of coarse
grasses growing in marshes; -- called also cord
grass. The tall S. cynosuroides is not good
for hay unless cut very young. The low S. juncea is a
common component of salt hay. -- Marsh harrier
(Zo\'94l.), a European hawk or harrier
(Circus \'91ruginosus); -- called also marsh
hawk, moor hawk, moor
buzzard, puttock. -- Marsh
hawk. (Zo\'94l.) (a) A hawk or
harrier (Circus cyaneus), native of both America and
Europe. The adults are bluish slate above, with a white rump.
Called also hen harrier, and mouse
hawk. (b) The marsh harrier. --
Marsh hen (Zo\'94l.), a rail; esp.,
Rallus elegans of fresh-water marshes, and R.
longirostris of salt-water marshes. -- Marsh
mallow (Bot.), a plant of the genus
Alth\'91a ( A. officinalis) common in
marshes near the seashore, and whose root is much used in
medicine as a demulcent. -- Marsh marigold.
(Bot.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Marsh
pennywort (Bot.), any plant of the
umbelliferous genus Hydrocotyle; low herbs with
roundish leaves, growing in wet places; -- called also
water pennywort. -- Marsh
quail (Zo\'94l.), the meadow lark. --
Marsh rosemary (Bot.), a plant of the
genus Statice (S. Limonium), common in salt
marshes. Its root is powerfully astringent, and is sometimes used
in medicine. Called also sea lavender. --
Marsh samphire (Bot.), a plant
(Salicornia herbacea) found along seacoasts. See
Glasswort. -- Marsh St. John's-wort
(Bot.), an American herb (Elodes
Virginica) with small opposite leaves and flesh-colored
flowers. -- Marsh tea. (Bot.).
Same as Labrador tea. -- Marsh
trefoil. (Bot.) Same as
Buckbean. -- Marsh wren
(Zo\'94l.), any species of small American wrens of
the genus Cistothorus, and allied genera. They chiefly
inhabit salt marshes.
Mar"shal (?), n. [OE.
mareschal, OF. mareschal, F.
mar\'82chal, LL. mariscalcus, from OHG.
marah-scalc (G. marschall);
marah horse + scalc servant (akin to AS.
scealc, Goth. skalks). F.
mar\'82chal signifies, a marshal, and a farrier. See
Mare horse, and cf. Seneschal.]
1. Originally, an officer who had the care of
horses; a groom. [Obs.]
2. An officer of high rank, charged with the
arrangement of ceremonies, the conduct of operations, or the
like; as, specifically: (a) One who goes
before a prince to declare his coming and provide entertainment;
a harbinger; a pursuivant. (b) One who
regulates rank and order at a feast or any other assembly,
directs the order of procession, and the like. (c)
The chief officer of arms, whose duty it was, in ancient
times, to regulate combats in the lists. Johnson.
(d) (France) The highest military
officer. In other countries of Europe a marshal is a
military officer of high rank, and called field
marshal. (e) (Am. Law) A
ministerial officer, appointed for each judicial district of the
United States, to execute the process of the courts of the United
States, and perform various duties, similar to those of a
sheriff. The name is also sometimes applied to certain police
officers of a city.
Earl marshal of England, the eighth officer of
state; an honorary title, and personal, until made hereditary in
the family of the Duke of Norfolk. During a vacancy in the office
of high constable, the earl marshal has jurisdiction in the court
of chivalry. Brande & C. -- Earl marshal of
Scotland, an officer who had command of the cavalry
under the constable. This office was held by the family of Keith,
but forfeited by rebellion in 1715. -- Knight
marshal, Marshal of the King's
house, formerly, in England, the marshal of the
king's house, who was authorized to hear and determine all pleas
of the Crown, to punish faults committed within the verge, etc.
His court was called the Court of Marshalsea. --
Marshal of the Queen's Bench, formerly the title
of the officer who had the custody of the Queen's bench prison in
Southwark. Mozley & W.
Mar"shal, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Marshaled (?) or Marshalled;
p. pr. & vb. n. Marshaling or
Marshalling.]
1. To dispose in order; to arrange in a suitable
manner; as, to marshal troops or an army.
And marshaling the heroes of his name
As, in their order, next to light they came.
Dryden.
2. To direct, guide, or lead.
Thou marshalest me the way that I was going.
Shak.
3. (Her.) To dispose in due order, as
the different quarterings on an escutcheon, or the different
crests when several belong to an achievement.
Mar"shal*er (?), n. [Written
also marshaller.] One who marshals.
Mar"shal*ing, n. [Written also
marshalling.]
1. The act of arranging in due order.
2. (Her.) The arrangement of an
escutcheon to exhibit the alliances of the owner.
Marshaling of assets (Law), the
arranging or ranking of assets in due order of
administration.
Mar"shal*sea (?), n.
[Marshal + OE. se a seat. See
See a seat.] The court or seat of a marshal;
hence, the prison in Southwark, belonging to the marshal of the
king's household. [Eng.]
Court of Marshalsea, a court formerly held
before the steward and marshal of the king's house to administer
justice between the king's domestic servants.
Blackstone.
Mar"shal*ship, n. The office of a
marshal.
{ Marsh"bank`er (?),
Marse"bank`er (?), } n.
(Zo\'94l.) The menhaden.
<-- p. 898 -->
Marsh"i*ness (?), n. The state
or condition of being marshy.
Marsh mar"i*gold (?). (Bot.) A
perennial plant of the genus Caltha (C.
palustris), growing in wet places and bearing bright yellow
flowers. In the United States it is used as a pot herb under the
name of cowslip. See Cowslip.
Marsh"y (?), a. [E.
Marsh.]
1. Resembling a marsh; wet; boggy; fenny.
2. Pertaining to, or produced in, marshes; as,
a marshy weed.
Dryden.
Mar"si*po*branch` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) One of the Marsipobranchia.
\'d8Mar"si*po*bran"chi*a (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A class of Vertebrata, lower than
fishes, characterized by their purselike gill cavities,
cartilaginous skeletons, absence of limbs, and a suckerlike mouth
destitute of jaws. It includes the lampreys and hagfishes. See
Cyclostoma, and Lamprey. Called also
Marsipobranchiata, and
Marsipobranchii.
Mar*su"pi*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
marsupial.]
1. (Zo\'94l.) Having a pouch for
carrying the immature young; of or pertaining to the
Marsupialia.
2. (Anat. & Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining
to a marsupium; as, the marsupial bones.
Marsupial frog. (Zo\'94l.) See
Nototrema.
Mar*su"pi*al, n. (Zo\'94l.)
One of the Marsupialia.
\'d8Mar*su`pi*a"li*a (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. L. marsupium a pouch, bag, purse, Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A
subclass of Mammalia, including nearly all the mammals of
Australia and the adjacent islands, together with the opossums of
America. They differ from ordinary mammals in having the corpus
callosum very small, in being implacental, and in having their
young born while very immature. The female generally carries the
young for some time after birth in an external pouch, or
marsupium. Called also Marsupiata.
{ Mar*su`pi*a"li*an (?),
Mar*su"pi*an (?), } n.
(Zo\'94l.) One of the Marsupialia.
Mar*su"pi*ate (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Related to or resembling the
marsupials; furnished with a pouch for the young, as the
marsupials, and also some fishes and Crustacea.
\'d8Mar*su"pi*on (?), n.
[NL.] Same as Marsupium.
Mar"su*pite (?), n. [See
Marsupial.] (Paleon.) A fossil
crinoid of the genus Marsupites, resembling a purse in
form.
\'d8Mar*su"pi*um (?), n.; pl.
Marsupia (#). [L., a pouch],
(Anat. & Zo\'94l.) (a) The pouch, formed
by a fold of the skin of the abdomen, in which marsupials carry
their young; also, a pouch for similar use in other animals, as
certain Crustacea. (b) The pecten in the eye
of birds and reptiles. See Pecten.
Mart (?), n. [Contr. fr.
market.]
1. A market.
Where has commerce such a mart . . . as London
?
Cowper.
2. A bargain. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mart, v. t. To buy or sell in, or as in,
a mart. [Obs.]
To sell and mart your officer for gold
To undeservers.
Shak.
Mart, v. t. To traffic.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Mart, n. [See Mars.]
1. The god Mars. [Obs.]
2. Battle; contest. [Obs.]
Fairfax.
Mar"ta*gon (?), n. [Cf. F. &
Sp. martagon, It. martagone.]
(Bot.) A lily (Lilium Martagon) with
purplish red flowers, found in Europe and Asia.
Mar"tel (?), v. i. [F.
marteler, fr. martel, marteau,
hammer, a dim. fr. L. martulus, marculus,
dim. of marcus hammer. Cf. March to
step.] To make a blow with, or as with, a
hammer. [Obs.]
Spenser.
\'d8Mar`tel` de fer" (?). [OF., hammer of
iron.] A weapon resembling a hammer, often having one
side of the head pointed; -- used by horsemen in the Middle Ages
to break armor.
Fairholt.
Mar"te*line (?), n. [F.]
A small hammer used by marble workers and sculptors.
Mar*tel"lo tow`er (?). [It.
martello hammer. The name was orig. given to towers
erected on the coasts of Sicily and Sardinia for protection
against the pirates in the time of Charles the Fifth, which prob.
orig. contained an alarm bell to be struck with a hammer. See
Martel.] (Fort.) A building of
masonry, generally circular, usually erected on the seacoast,
with a gun on the summit mounted on a traversing platform, so as
to be fired in any direction.
Mar"ten (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A bird. See Martin.
Mar"ten, n. [From older
martern, marter, martre, F.
martre, marte, LL. martures
(pl.), fr. L. martes; akin to AS. mear,
meard, G. marder, OHG. mardar,
Icel. m\'94r. Cf. Foumart.]
1. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of several
fur-bearing carnivores of the genus Mustela, closely
allied to the sable. Among the more important species are the
European beech, or stone, marten (Mustela foina); the
pine marten (M. martes); and the American marten, or
sable (M. Americana), which some zo\'94logists
consider only a variety of the Russian sable.
2. The fur of the marten, used for hats, muffs,
etc.
Mar"tern (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) Same as Marten.
[Obs.]
Mar"-text` (?), n. A blundering
preacher.
Mar"tial (?), a. [F., fr. L.
martialis of or belonging to Mars, the god
of war. Cf. March the month.]
1. Of, pertaining to, or suited for, war; military;
as, martial music; a martial
appearance. \'bdMartial equipage.\'b8
Milton.
2. Practiced in, or inclined to, war; warlike;
brave.
But peaceful kings, o'er martial people set,
Each other's poise and counterbalance are.
Dryden.
3. Belonging to war, or to an army and navy; --
opposed to civil; as, martial law; a
court-martial.
4. Pertaining to, or resembling, the god, or the
planet, Mars.
Sir T. Browne.
5. (Old Chem. & Old Med.) Pertaining to,
or containing, iron; chalybeate; as, martial
preparations. [Archaic]
Martial flowers (Med.), a reddish
crystalline salt of iron; the ammonio-chloride of iron.
[Obs.] -- Martial law, the law
administered by the military power of a government when it has
superseded the civil authority in time of war, or when the civil
authorities are unable to enforce the laws. It is distinguished
from military law, the latter being the code of rules
for the regulation of the army and navy alone, either in peace or
in war.
Syn. -- Martial, Warlike.
Martial refers more to war in action, its
array, its attendants, etc.; as, martial music, a
martial appearance, a martial array,
courts-martial, etc. Warlike describes the
feeling or temper which leads to war, and the adjuncts of war;
as, a warlike nation, warlike indication,
etc. The two words are often used without discrimination.
Mar"tial*ism (?), n. The
quality of being warlike; exercises suitable for war.
[Obs.]
Mar"tial*ist, n. A warrior.
[Obs.]
Fuller.
Mar"tial*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Martialized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Martializing
(?).] To render warlike; as, to
martialize a people.
Mar"tial*ly, adv. In a martial
manner.
Mar"tial*ness, n. The quality of being
martial.
<-- Martian. 1. of or referring to Mars. 2. an inhabitant of Mars
;- fictional or hypothetical. -->
Mar"tin (?), n. (Stone
Working) [Etymol. uncertain.] A perforated
stone-faced runner for grinding.
Mar"tin, n. [F. martin, from
the proper name Martin. Cf. Martlet.]
(Zo\'94l.) One of several species of swallows,
usually having the tail less deeply forked than the tail of the
common swallows. [Written also
marten.]
Progne subis, ), and the European house,
or window, martin (Hirundo, ),
are the best known species.
Bank martin. (a) The bank
swallow. See under Bank. (b) The fairy
martin. See under Fairy. -- Bee martin.
(a) The purple martin. (b) The
kingbird. -- Sand martin, the bank
swallow.
Mar"ti*net` (?), n. [So called
from an officer of that name in the French army under Louis XIV.
Cf. Martin the bird, Martlet.] In
military language, a strict disciplinarian; in general, one who
lays stress on a rigid adherence to the details of discipline, or
to forms and fixed methods. [Hence, the word is
commonly employed in a depreciatory sense.]
Mar"ti*net`, n. [F.]
(Zo\'94l.) The martin.
Mar`ti*ne"ta (?), n. [Cf. Sp.
martinete.] (Zo\'94l.) A species
of tinamou (Calopezus elegans), having a long slender
crest.
Mar"ti*net`ism (?), n. The
principles or practices of a martinet; rigid adherence to
discipline, etc.
{ Mar"tin*gale (?), Mar"tin*gal
(?), } n. [F.
martingale; cf. It. martingala a sort of
hose, martingale, Sp. martingala a greave, cuish,
martingale, Sp. alm\'a0rtaga a kind of bridle.]
1. A strap fastened to a horse's girth, passing
between his fore legs, and fastened to the bit, or now more
commonly ending in two rings, through which the reins pass. It is
intended to hold down the head of the horse, and prevent him from
rearing.
2. (Naut.) A lower stay of rope or chain
for the jib boom or flying jib boom, fastened to, or reeved
through, the dolphin striker. Also, the dolphin striker
itself.
3. (Gambling) The act of doubling, at
each stake, that which has been lost on the preceding stake;
also, the sum so risked; -- metaphorically derived from the
bifurcation of the martingale of a harness.
[Cant]
Thackeray.
Mar"tin*mas (?), n. [St.
Martin + mass religious service.]
(Eccl.) The feast of St. Martin, the eleventh of
November; -- often called martlemans.
Martinmas summer, a period of calm, warm
weather often experienced about the time of Martinmas; Indian
summer.
Percy Smith.
Mar"tite (?), n. [L.
Mars, Martis, the god Mars, the alchemical
name of iron.] (Min.) Iron sesquioxide in
isometric form, probably a pseudomorph after magnetite.
Mar"tle*mas (?), n. See
Martinmas. [Obs.]
Mart"let (?), n. [F.
martinet. See Martin the bird, and cf.
Martinet a disciplinarian.]
1. (Zo\'94l.) The European house
martin.
2. [Cf. F. merlette.]
(Her.) A bird without beak or feet; -- generally
assumed to represent a martin. As a mark of cadency it
denotes the fourth son.
Mar"tyr (?), n. [AS., from L.
martyr, Gr. ma`rtyr, ma`rtys,
prop., a witness; cf. Skr. sm to remember, E.
memory.]
1. One who, by his death, bears witness to the
truth of the gospel; one who is put to death for his religion;
as, Stephen was the first Christian
martyr.
Chaucer.
To be a martyr, signifies only to witness the truth
of Christ; but the witnessing of the truth was then so generally
attended with persecution, that martyrdom now signifies not only
to witness, but to witness by death
South.
2. Hence, one who sacrifices his life, his station,
or what is of great value to him, for the sake of principle, or
to sustain a cause.
Then if thou fall'st, O Cromwell,
Thou fall'st a blessed martyr !
Shak.
Mar"tyr (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Martyred
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Martyring.] 1. To put to death
for adhering to some belief, esp. Christianity; to sacrifice on
account of faith or profession.
Bp. Pearson.
2. To persecute; to torment; to torture.
Chaucer.
The lovely Amoret, whose gentle heart
Thou martyrest with sorrow and with smart.
Spenser.
Racked with sciatics, martyred with the stone.
Pope.
Mar"tyr*dom (?), n.
[Martyr + -dom.]
1. The condition of a martyr; the death of a
martyr; the suffering of death on account of adherence to the
Christian faith, or to any cause.
Bacon.
I came from martyrdom unto this peace.
Longfellow.
2. Affliction; torment; torture.
Chaucer.
Mar`tyr*i*za"tion (?), n. Act
of martyrizing, or state of being martyrized; torture.
B. Jonson.
Mar"tyr*ize (?), v. t. [Cf. F.
martyriser, LL. martyrizare.] To
make a martyr of.
Spenser.
Mar"tyr*ly, adv. In the manner of a
martyr.
Mar"tyr*o*loge (?), n. [LL.
martyrologium: cf. F. martyrologe.]
A martyrology. [Obs.]
Bp. Hall.
{ Mar`tyr*o*log"ic (?),
Mar`tyr*o*log"ic*al (?), } a.
Pertaining to martyrology or martyrs; registering, or
registered in, a catalogue of martyrs.
Mar`tyr*ol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf.
F. martyrologiste.] A writer of
martyrology; an historian of martyrs.
T. Warton.
Mar`tyr*ol"o*gy (?), n.; pl.
-gies (#). [Martyr +
-logy.] A history or account of martyrs; a
register of martyrs.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
Mar"tyr*ship, n. Martyrdom.
[R.]
Fuller.
Mar"vel (?), n. [OE.
mervaile, F. merveille, fr. L.
mirabilia wonderful things, pl., fr.
mirabilis wonderful, fr. mirari to wonder
or marvel at. See Admire, Smile, and cf.
Miracle.] 1. That which causes
wonder; a prodigy; a miracle.
I will do marvels such as have not been done.
Ex. xxxiv. 10.
Nature's sweet marvel undefiled.
Emerson.
2. Wonder. [R.] \'bdUse lessens
marvel.\'b8
Sir W. Scott.
Marvel of Peru. (Bot.) See
Four-o'clock.
Mar"vel, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Marveled (?) or Marvelled;
p. pr. & vb. n. Marveling or
Marvelling.] [OE. merveilen,
OF. merveillier.] To be struck with
surprise, astonishment, or wonder; to wonder.
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
1 john iii. 13.
Mar"vel, v. t. 1. To marvel
at. [Obs.]
Wyclif.
2. To cause to marvel, or be surprised; -- used
impersonally. [Obs.]
But much now me marveleth.
Rich. the Redeless.
Mar"vel*ous (?), a. [OE.
merveillous, OF. merveillos, F.
Merveilleux. See Marvel, n.]
>[Written also marvellous.]
1. Exciting wonder or surprise; astonishing;
wonderful.
This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our
eyes.
Ps. cxiii. 23.
2. Partaking of the character of miracle, or
superna
The marvelous fable includes whatever is
supernatural, and especially the machines of the gods.
Pope.
The marvelous, that which exceeds natural
power, or is preternatural; that which is wonderful; -- opposed
to the probable.
Syn. -- Wonderful; astonishing; surprising; strange;
improbable; incredible. -- Marvelous,
Wonderful. We speak of a thing as wonderful
when it awakens our surprise and admiration; as
marvelous when it is so much out of the ordinary
course of things as to seem nearly or quite incredible.
Mar"vel*ous*ly, adv. In a marvelous
manner; wonderfully; strangely.
Mar"vel*ous*ness, n. The quality or
state of being marvelous; wonderfulness; strangeness.
Mar"ver (?), n. [Prob. corrupt.
fr. OE. or F. marbre marble.] (Glass
Marking) A stone, or cast-iron plate, or former, on
which hot glass is rolled to give it shape.
<-- Marxism. n. A system of economic and political thought,
originated by Karl Marx, and elaborated by others. It holds that
the state has been the a device for suppression of the masses,
allowing exploitation by a dominant (capitalistic) class; that
historical change occurs through class struggle; and that the
capitalist system will inevitably wither away to be superseded by
a classless society.
Marxism-Leninism. Marxism, as interpreted by V.I. Lenin
Marxist. n. 1. One who believes in the theories of Karl Marx.
2. adj. of or pertaining to Marx or Marxism. -->
Mar"y (?), n. Marrow.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Ma"ry (?), interj. See
Marry. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Ma"ry-bud` (?), n. (Bot.)
The marigold; a blossom of the marigold.
Shak.
Ma`ry*ol"a*try (?), n.
Mariolatry.
Ma"ry*sole (?), n.
[Mary, the proper name + sole the
fish.] (Zo\'94l.) A large British fluke, or
flounder (Rhombus megastoma); -- called also
carter, and whiff.
<-- Marzipan. the word more commonly used (1950-1990) for
marchpane. -->
{ Mas*ca"gnin (?), Mas*ca"gnite
(?), } n. [Cf. F.
mascagnin.] (Min.) Native
sulphate of ammonia, found in volcanic districts; -- so named
from Mascagni, who discovered it.
Mas"cle (?), n. [OF.
mascle, F. macle, L. macula
spot, mesh of a net, LL. macula, macla,
mascla a scale of a coat of mail. See Mail
armor.] (Her.) A lozenge voided.
Mas"cled (?), a. Composed of,
or covered with, lozenge-shaped scales; having lozenge-shaped
divisions.
Mascled armor, armor composed of small
lozenge-shaped scales of metal fastened on a foundation of
leather or quilted cloth.
{ Mas"cot, Mas"cotte }
(?), n. [Through French fr. Pr.
mascot a little sorcerer or magician,
mascotto witchcraft, sorcery.] A person who
is supposed to bring good luck to the household to which he or
she belongs; anything that brings good luck.
Mas"cu*late (?), v. t. [L.
masculus male, masculine.] To make
strong. [Obs.]
Cockeram.
<-- p. 899 -->
Mas"cu*line (?), a. [L.
masculinus, fr. masculus male, manly, dim.
of mas a male: cf. F. masculin. See
Male masculine.] 1. Of the male sex;
not female.
Thy masculine children, that is to say, thy
sons.
Chaucer.
2. Having the qualities of a man; suitable to, or
characteristic of, a man; virile; not feminine or effeminate;
strong; robust.
That lady, after her husband's death, held the reins with a
masculine energy.
Hallam.
3. Belonging to males; appropriated to, or used by,
males. [R.] \'bdA masculine
church.\'b8
Fuller.
4. (Gram.) Having the inflections of, or
construed with, words pertaining especially to male beings, as
distinguished from feminine and
neuter. See Gender. --
Mas"cu*line*ly, adv. --
Mas"cu*line*ness, n.
Mas`cu*lin"i*ty (?), n. The
state or quality of being masculine; masculineness.
Mase (?), n. & v. See
Maze. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mas"e*lyn (?), n. A drinking
cup. See 1st Maslin, 2. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Ma"ser (?), n. Same as
Mazer.
Mash (?), n. A mesh.
[Obs.]
Mash, n. [Akin to G. meisch,
maisch, meische, maische, mash,
wash, and prob. to AS. miscian to mix. See
Mix.]
1. A mass of mixed ingredients reduced to a soft
pulpy state by beating or pressure; a mass of anything in a soft
pulpy state. Specifically (Brewing), ground or bruised
malt, or meal of rye, wheat, corn, or other grain (or a mixture
of malt and meal) steeped and stirred in hot water for making the
wort.
2. A mixture of meal or bran and water fed to
animals.
3. A mess; trouble. [Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Mash tun, a large tub used in making mash and
wort.
Mash, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mashing.] [Akin to G.
meischen, maischen, to mash, mix, and prob.
to mischen, E. mix. See 2d
Mash.] To convert into a mash; to reduce to a
soft pulpy state by beating or pressure; to bruise; to crush;
as, to mash apples in a mill, or potatoes with a
pestle. Specifically (Brewing), to convert, as
malt, or malt and meal, into the mash which makes wort.
Mashing tub, a tub for making the mash in
breweries and distilleries; -- called also mash
tun, and mash vat.
<-- mashed potato. n. the name of a dance, briefly popular in
the 1960's.
mashed potatoes n. pl. Potatoes which have been boiled and
mashed to a pulpy consistency, usu. with sparing addition of
milk, salt, butter, or other flavoring. It is a popular
accompaniment to a meat course [U.S., 1900's], providing bulk and
calories to a meal. -->
Mash"er (?), n. 1. One
who, or that which, mashes; also (Brewing), a machine
for making mash.
2. A charmer of women. [Slang]
London Punch.
Mash"lin (?), n. See
Maslin.
Mash"y (?), a. Produced by
crushing or bruising; resembling, or consisting of, a mash.
Mask (?), n. [F.
masque, LL. masca, mascha,
mascus; cf. Sp. & Pg. m\'a0scara, It.
maschera; all fr. Ar. maskharat buffoon,
fool, pleasantry, anything ridiculous or mirthful, fr.
sakhira to ridicule, to laugh at. Cf. Masque,
Masquerade.] 1. A cover, or partial
cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection; as, a
dancer's mask; a fencer's mask; a ball player's
mask.
2. That which disguises; a pretext or
subterfuge.
3. A festive entertainment of dancing or other
diversions, where all wear masks; a masquerade; hence, a revel; a
frolic; a delusive show.
Bacon.
This thought might lead me through the world's vain
mask.
Milton.
4. A dramatic performance, formerly in vogue, in
which the actors wore masks and represented mythical or
allegorical characters.
5. (Arch.) A grotesque head or face,
used to adorn keystones and other prominent parts, to spout water
in fountains, and the like; -- called also
mascaron.
6. (Fort.) (a) In a permanent
fortification, a redoubt which protects the caponiere.
(b) A screen for a battery.
7. (Zo\'94l.) The lower lip of the larva
of a dragon fly, modified so as to form a prehensile organ.
Mask house, a house for masquerades.
[Obs.]
Mask, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Masked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Masking.] 1. To cover, as the
face, by way of concealment or defense against injury; to conceal
with a mask or visor.
They must all be masked and vizarded.
Shak.
2. To disguise; to cover; to hide.
Masking the business from the common eye.
Shak.
3. (Mil.) (a) To conceal; also,
to intervene in the line of. (b) To cover or
keep in check; as, to mask a body of troops or a
fortess by a superior force, while some hostile evolution is
being carried out.
Mask, v. i. 1. To take part as
a masker in a masquerade.
Cavendish.
2. To wear a mask; to be disguised in any
way.
Shak.
Masked (?), a. 1.
Wearing a mask or masks; characterized by masks; cincealed;
hidden.
2. (Bot.) Same as
Personate.
3. (Zo\'94l.) Having the anterior part
of the head differing decidedly in color from the rest of the
plumage; -- said of birds.
Masked ball, a ball in which the dancers wear
masks. -- Masked battery (Mil.), a
battery so placed as not to be seen by an enemy until it opens
fire. H. L. Scott. -- Masked crab
(Zo\'94l.), a European crab (Corystes
cassivelaunus) with markings on the carapace somewhat
resembling a human face. -- Masked pig
(Zo\'94l.), a Japanese domestic hog (Sus
pliciceps). Its face is deeply furrowed.
Mask"er (?), n. One who wears a
mask; one who appears in disguise at a masquerade.
Mask"er, v. t. To confuse; to
stupefy. [Obs.]
Holland.
Mask"er*y (?), n. The dress or
disguise of a maske [Obs.]
Marston.
Mas"ki*nonge (?), n. The
muskellunge.
Mask" shell` (?). (Zo\'94l.)
Any spiral marine shell of the genus Persona,
having a curiously twisted aperture.
Mas"lach (?), n. [Ar.
maslaq: cf. F. masloc.]
(Med.) An excitant containing opium, much used by
the Turks.
Dunglison.
Mas"lin (?), n. [OE.
missellane, misceline, miscelin,
meslin, fr. miscellane. See
Miscellane.] 1. A mixture composed
of different materials; especially: (a) A
mixture of metals resembling brass. (b) A
mixture of different sorts of grain, as wheat and
rye. [Written also meslin,
mislin, maselyn,
mastlin.]
2. A vessel made of maslin, 1 (a).
[Obs.]
Mead eke in a maselyn.
Chaucer.
Mas"lin, a. Composed of different sorts;
as, maslin bread, which is made of rye mixed with a
little wheat. [Written also meslin,
mislin, etc.]
Ma"son (?), n. [F.
ma, LL. macio, machio,
mattio, mactio, marcio,
macerio; of uncertain origin.]
1. One whose occupation is to build with stone or
brick; also, one who prepares stone for building purposes.
2. A member of the fraternity of Freemasons. See
Freemason.
Mason bee (Zo\'94l.), any one of
numerous species of solitary bees of the genus Osmia.
They construct curious nests of hardened mud and sand. --
Mason moth (Zo\'94l.), any moth whose
larva constructs an earthen cocoon under the soil. --
Mason shell (Zo\'94l.), a marine
univalve shell of the genus Phorus; -- so called
because it cements other shells and pebbles upon its own shell; a
carrier shell. -- Mason wasp
(Zo\'94l.), any wasp that constructs its nest, or
brood cells, of hardened mud. The female fills the cells with
insects or spiders, paralyzed by a sting, and thus provides food
for its larv\'91
Ma"son, v. t. To build stonework or
brickwork about, under, in, over, etc.; to construct by masons;
-- with a prepositional suffix; as, to mason up a
well or terrace; to mason in a kettle or
boiler.
Ma*son"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Freemasons or to their craft or mysteries.
Ma"son*ry (?), n. [F.
ma\'87onnerie.]
1. The art or occupation of a mason.
2. The work or performance of a mason; as, good
or bad masonry; skillful masonry.
3. That which is built by a mason; anything
constructed of the materials used by masons, such as stone,
brick, tiles, or the like. Dry masonry is applied
to structures made without mortar.
4. The craft, institution, or mysteries of
Freemasons; freemasonry.
Ma*soo"la boat` (?). A kind of boat used
on the coast of Madras, India. The planks are sewed together with
strands of coir which cross over a wadding of the same material,
so that the shock on taking the beach through surf is much
reduced. [Written also masula,
masulah, etc.]
\'d8Ma*so"ra (?), n. [NHeb.
m\'bes tradition.] A Jewish
critical work on the text of the Hebrew Scriptures, composed by
several learned rabbis of the school of Tiberias, in the eighth
and ninth centuries. [Written also
Masorah, Massora, and
Massorah.]
Mas"o*ret (?), n. A
Masorite. [Written also Masorete, and
Massorete.]
{ Mas`o*ret"ic (?),
Mas`o*ret"ic*al (?), } a.
[Cf. F. massor\'82tique.] Of or
relating to the Masora, or to its authors.
Masoretic points and accents, the vowel points
and accents of the Hebrew text of the Bible, of which the first
mention is in the Masora.
Mas"o*rite (?), n. One of the
writers of the Masora.
Masque (?), n. A mask; a
masquerade.
Mas`quer*ade" (?), n. [F.
mascarade, fr. Sp. mascarada, or It.
mascherata. See Mask.]
1. An assembly of persons wearing masks, and
amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other
diversions.
In courtly balls and midnight masquerades.
Pope.
2. A dramatic performance by actors in masks; a
mask. See 1st Mask, 4. [Obs.]
3. Acting or living under false pretenses;
concealment of something by a false or unreal show; pretentious
show; disguise.
That masquerade of misrepresentation which
invariably accompanied the political eloquence of Rome.
De Quincey.
4. A Spanish diversion on horseback.
Mas`quer*ade", v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Masqueraded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Masquerading.]
1. To assemble in masks; to take part in a
masquerade.
2. To frolic or disport in disquise; to make a
pretentious show of being what one is not.
A freak took an ass in the head, and he goes into the woods,
masquerading up and down in a lion's skin.
L'Estrange.
Mas`quer*ade", v. t. To conceal with
masks; to disguise. \'bdTo masquerade vice.\'b8
Killingbeck.
Mas`quer*ad"er (?), n. One who
masquerades; a person wearing a mask; one disguised.
Mass (?), n. [OE.
masse, messe, AS. m\'91sse. LL.
missa, from L. mittere, missum,
to send, dismiss: cf. F. messe. In the ancient
churches, the public services at which the catechumens were
permitted to be present were called missa
catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel. Then
they were dismissed with these words : \'bdIte, missa
est\'b8 [sc. ecclesia], the congregation is dismissed.
After that the sacrifice proper began. At its close the same
words were said to those who remained. So the word gave the name
of Mass to the sacrifice in the Catholic Church. See
Missile, and cf. Christmas, Lammas,
Mess a dish, Missal.]
1. (R. C. Ch.) The sacrifice in the
sacrament of the Eucharist, or the consecration and oblation of
the host.
2. (Mus.) The portions of the Mass
usually set to music, considered as a musical composition; --
namely, the Kyrie, the Gloria, the
Credo, the Sanctus, and the Agnus
Dei, besides sometimes an Offertory and the
Benedictus.
Canon of the Mass. See Canon. --
High Mass, Mass with incense, music, the
assistance of a deacon, subdeacon, etc. -- Low
Mass, Mass which is said by the priest through-out,
without music. -- Mass bell, the sanctus
bell. See Sanctus. -- Mass book, the
missal or Roman Catholic service book.
Mass (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Massed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Massing.] To
celebrate Mass. [Obs.]
Hooker.
Mass, n. [OE. masse, F.
masse, L. massa; akin to Gr. Macerate.]
1. A quantity of matter cohering together so as to
make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which
collectively make one body or quantity, usually of considerable
size; as, a mass of ore, metal, sand, or
water.
If it were not for these principles, the bodies of the earth,
planets, comets, sun, and all things in them, would grow cold and
freeze, and become inactive masses.
Sir I. Newton.
A deep mass of continual sea is slower stirred
To rage.
Savile.
2. (Phar.) A medicinal substance made
into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for
making pills; as, blue mass.
3. A large quantity; a sum.
All the mass of gold that comes into Spain.
Sir W. Raleigh.
He had spent a huge mass of treasure.
Sir J. Davies.
4. Bulk; magnitude; body; size.
This army of such mass and charge.
Shak.
5. The principal part; the main body.
Night closed upon the pursuit, and aided the mass
of the fugitives in their escape.
Jowett (Thucyd.).
6. (Physics) The quantity of matter
which a body contains, irrespective of its bulk or volume.
Mass and weight are often
used, in a general way, as interchangeable terms, since the
weight of a body is proportional to its
mass (under the same or equal gravitative forces), and
the mass is usually ascertained from the
weight. Yet the two ideas, mass and
weight, are quite distinct. Mass is the
quantity of matter in a body; weight is the
comparative force with which it tends towards the center of the
earth. A mass of sugar and a mass of lead
are assumed to be equal when they show an equal weight
by balancing each other in the scales.
Blue mass. See under Blue. --
Mass center (Geom.), the center of
gravity of a triangle. -- Mass copper, native
copper in a large mass. -- Mass meeting, a
large or general assembly of people, usually a meeting having
some relation to politics. -- The masses, the
great body of the people, as contrasted with the higher classes;
the populace.
Mass, v. t. To form or collect into a
mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into
masses; to assemble.
But mass them together and they are terrible
indeed.
Coleridge.
Mas"sa*cre (?), n. [F., fr. LL.
mazacrium; cf. Prov. G. metzgern,
metzgen, to kill cattle, G. metzger a
butcher, and LG. matsken to cut, hew, OHG.
meizan to cut, Goth. m\'a0itan.]
1. The killing of a considerable number of human
beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to
the usages of civilized people; as, the massacre on
St. Bartholomew's Day.<-- St. Valentine's Day
massacre; Amritsar massacre; the Wounded Knee massacre. -->
2. Murder. [Obs.]
Shak.
Syn. -- Massacre, Butchery,
Carnage. Massacre denotes the
promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make
resistance, or much resistance. Butchery refers to
cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute
beasts. Carnage points to slaughter as producing the
heaped-up bodies of the slain.
I'll find a day to massacre them all,
And raze their faction and their family.
Shak.
If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,
Brhold this pattern of thy butcheries.
Shak.
Such a scent I draw
Of carnage, prey innumerable !
Milton.
Mas"sa*cre, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Massacred (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Massacring (?).] [Cf.
F. massacrer. See Massacre,
n.] To kill in considerable numbers where
much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate
violence, without necessity, and contrary to the usages of
nations; to butcher; to slaughter; -- limited to the killing of
human beings.
If James should be pleased to massacre them all, as
Maximian had massacred the Theban legion.
Macaulay.
Mas"sa*crer (?), n. One who
massacres. [R.]
Mas"sage (?), n. [F.]
A rubbing or kneading of the body, especially when performed
as a hygienic or remedial measure.
Mas`sa*sau"ga (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The black rattlesnake (Crotalus,
), found in the Mississippi
Valley.
{ Mass\'82, Mass\'82 shot
(?) }, n. (Billiards) A
stroke made with the cue held vertically.
Mass"er, n. A priest who celebrates
Mass. [R.]
Bale.
Mas"se*ter (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. mass\'82ter.]
(Anat.) The large muscle which raises the under
jaw, and assists in mastication.
Mas`se*ter"ic (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the masseter.
Mas"se*ter`ine (?), a.
(Anat.) Masseteric.
{ \'d8Mas`seur" (?), n. m.,
\'d8Mas`seuse" (?), n. f.,}
[F., or formed in imitation of French. See
Massage.] (Med.) One who performs
massage.
Mas"si*cot (?), n. [F.
massicot; E. masticot is a
corruption.] (Chem.) Lead protoxide,
PbO, obtained as a yellow amorphous powder, the
fused and crystalline form of which is called
litharge; lead ocher. It is used as a
pigment.<-- now pref. Lead monoxide; also, lead oxide
yellow, as opposed to red lead, which is lead tetroxide Pb3O4 -->
Massicot is sometimes used by painters,
and also as a drier in the composition of ointments and
plasters.
Mass"i*ness (?), n. [From
Massy.] The state or quality of being massy;
ponderousness.
<-- p. 900 -->
<-- p. 900 -->
Mass"ive (?), a. [F.
massif.] 1. Forming, or consisting
of, a large mass; compacted; weighty; heavy; massy.
\'bdMassive armor.\'b8
Dr. H. More.
2. (Min.) In mass; not necessarily
without a crystalline structure, but having no regular form;
as, a mineral occurs massive.
Massive rock (Geol.), a compact
crystalline rock not distinctly schistone, as granite; also, with
some authors, an eruptive rock.
Mass"ive*ly, adv. In a heavy mass.
Mass"ive*ness, n. The state or quality
of being massive; massiness.
Mas*soo"la boat`. See Masoola boat.
Mas*so"ra (?), n. Same as
Masora.
Mas"so*ret (?), n. Same as
Masorite.
Mass"y (?), a.
[Compar. Massier (?);
superl. Massiest.] Compacted
into, or consisting of, a mass; having bulk and weight ot
substance; ponderous; bulky and heavy; weight; heavy; as, a
massy shield; a massy rock.
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted.
Shak.
Yawning rocks in massy fragments fly.
Pope.
Mast (?), n. [AS.
m\'91st, fem. ; akin to G. mast, and E.
meat. See Meat.] The fruit of the
oak and beech, or other forest trees; nuts; acorns.
Oak mast, and beech, . . . they eat.
Chapman.
Swine under an oak filling themselves with the
mast.
South.
Mast, n. [AS. m\'91st, masc.;
akin to D., G., Dan., & Sw. mast, Icel.
mastr, and perh. to L. malus.]
1. (Naut.) A pole, or long, strong,
round piece of timber, or spar, set upright in a boat or vessel,
to sustain the sails, yards, rigging, etc. A mast may also
consist of several pieces of timber united by iron bands, or of a
hollow pillar of iron or steel.
The tallest pine
Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast
Of some great ammiral.<--sic-->
Milton.
masts
are foremast, mainmast, and
mizzenmast, each of which may be made of separate
spars.
2. (Mach.) The vertical post of a
derrick or crane.
Afore the mast, Before the
mast. See under Afore, and
Before. -- Mast coat. See under
Coat. -- Mast hoop, one of a number
of hoops attached to the fore edge of a boom sail, which slip on
the mast as the sail is raised or lowered; also, one of the iron
hoops used in making a made mast. See Made.
Mast, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Masted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Masting.] To furnish with a mast or
masts; to put the masts of in position; as, to mast
a ship.
\'d8Mas"tax (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. (Zo\'94l.) (a)
The pharynx of a rotifer. It usually contains four horny
pieces. The two central ones form the incus, against which the
mallei, or lateral ones, work so as to crush the food.
(b) The lore of a bird.
Mast"ed (?), a. Furnished with
a mast or masts; -- chiefly in composition; as, a
three-masted schooner.
Mast"er (?), n. (Naut.)
A vessel having (so many) masts; -- used only in compounds;
as, a two-master.
Mas"ter (?), n. [OE.
maistre, maister, OF. maistre,
mestre, F. ma\'8ctre, fr. L.
magister, orig. a double comparative from the root of
magnus great, akin to Gr. Maestro,
Magister, Magistrate, Magnitude,
Major, Mister, Mistress,
Mickle.] 1. A male person having
another living being so far subject to his will, that he can, in
the main, control his or its actions; -- formerly used with much
more extensive application than now. (a) The employer of
a servant. (b) The owner of a slave. (c) The
person to whom an apprentice is articled. (d) A
sovereign, prince, or feudal noble; a chief, or one exercising
similar authority. (e) The head of a household.
(f) The male head of a school or college. (g) A
male teacher. (h) The director of a number of persons
performing a ceremony or sharing a feast. (i) The owner
of a docile brute, -- especially a dog or horse. (j) The
controller of a familiar spirit or other supernatural
being.
2. One who uses, or controls at will, anything
inanimate; as, to be master of one's
time.
Shak.
Master of a hundred thousand drachms.
Addison.
We are masters of the sea.
Jowett (Thucyd. ).
3. One who has attained great skill in the use or
application of anything; as, a master of oratorical
art.
Great masters of ridicule.
Maccaulay.
No care is taken to improve young men in their own language,
that they may thoroughly understand and be masters of
it.
Locke.
4. A title given by courtesy, now commonly
pronounced m\'ccster, except when given to
boys; -- sometimes written Mister, but usually
abbreviated to Mr.
5. A young gentleman; a lad, or small boy.
Where there are little masters and misses in a
house, they are impediments to the diversions of the
servants.
Swift.
6. (Naut.) The commander of a merchant
vessel; -- usually called captain. Also, a
commissioned officer in the navy ranking next above ensign and
below lieutenant; formerly, an officer on a man-of-war who had
immediate charge, under the commander, of sailing the
vessel.
7. A person holding an office of authority among
the Freemasons, esp. the presiding officer; also, a person
holding a similar office in other civic societies.
Little masters, certain German engravers of
the 16th century, so called from the extreme smallness of their
prints. -- Master in chancery, an officer of
courts of equity, who acts as an assistant to the chancellor or
judge, by inquiring into various matters referred to him, and
reporting thereon to the court. -- Master of
arts, one who takes the second degree at a university;
also, the degree or title itself, indicated by the abbreviation
M. A., or A. M. -- Master of the horse, the
third great officer in the British court, having the management
of the royal stables, etc. In ceremonial cavalcades he rides next
to the sovereign. -- Master of the rolls, in
England, an officer who has charge of the rolls and patents that
pass the great seal, and of the records of the chancery, and acts
as assistant judge of the court. Bouvier.
Wharton. -- Past master, one who has
held the office of master in a lodge of Freemasons or
in a society similarly organized. -- The old
masters, distinguished painters who preceded modern
painters; especially, the celebrated painters of the 16th and
17th centuries. -- To be master of one's self,
to have entire self-control; not to be governed by
passion. -- To be one's own master, to be at
liberty to act as one chooses without dictation from
anybody.
Master, signifying chief,
principal, masterly, superior,
thoroughly skilled, etc., is often used adjiectively
or in compounds; as, master builder or
master-builder, master chord or
master-chord, master mason or
master-mason, master workman or
master-workman, master mechanic,
master mind, master spirit,
master passion, etc.
Throughout the city by the master gate.
Chaucer.
Master joint (Geol.), a quarryman's
term for the more prominent and extended joints traversing a rock
mass. -- Master key, a key adapted to open
several locks differing somewhat from each other; figuratively, a
rule or principle of general application in solving
difficulties. -- Master lode (Mining),
the principal vein of ore. -- Master mariner,
an experienced and skilled seaman who is certified to be
competent to command a merchant vessel. -- Master
sinew (Far.), a large sinew that surrounds
the hough of a horse, and divides it from the bone by a hollow
place, where the windgalls are usually seated. --
Master singer. See Mastersinger. --
Master stroke, a capital performance; a masterly
achievement; a consummate action; as, a master stroke
of policy. -- Master tap (Mech.),
a tap for forming the thread in a screw cutting die. --
Master touch. (a) The touch or skill of a
master. Pope. (b) Some part of a
performance which exhibits very skillful work or treatment.
\'bdSome master touches of this admirable piece.\'b8
Tatler. -- Master work, the most
important work accomplished by a skilled person, as in
architecture, literature, etc.; also, a work which shows the
skill of a master; a masterpiece. -- Master
workman, a man specially skilled in any art,
handicraft, or trade, or who is an overseer, foreman, or
employer.
Mas"ter (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mastered
(?); p. pr. vb. n.
Mastering.] 1. To become the
master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to
conquer; to overpower; to subdue.
Obstinacy and willful neglects must be mastered,
even though it cost blows.
Locke.
2. To gain the command of, so as to understand or
apply; to become an adept in; as, to master a
science.
3. To own; to posses. [Obs.]
The wealth
That the world masters.
Shak.
Mas"ter, v. i. To be skillful; to
excel. [Obs.]
Mas"ter*dom (?), n.
[Master + -dom.] Dominion;
rule; command. [R.]
Shak.
Mas"ter*ful (?), a. 1.
Inclined to play the master; domineering; imperious;
arbitrary.
Dryden.
2. Having the skill or power of a master;
indicating or expressing power or mastery.
His masterful, pale face.
Mrs. Browning.
Mas"ter*ful*ly, adv. In a masterful
manner; imperiously.
A lawless and rebellious man who held lands
masterfully and in high contempt of the royal
authority.
Macaulay.
Mas"ter*hood (?), n. The state
of being a master; hence, disposition to command or hector.
C. Bront\'82.
Mas"ter*less, a. Destitute of a master
or owner; ungoverned or ungovernable. --
Mas"ter*less*ness, n.
Mas"ter*li*ness (?), n. The
quality or state of being masterly; ability to control wisely or
skillfully.
Mas"ter*ly, a. 1. Suitable to,
or characteristic of, a master; indicating thorough knowledge or
superior skill and power; showing a master's hand; as, a
masterly design; a masterly performance; a
masterly policy. \'bdA wise and
masterly inactivity.\'b8
Sir J. Mackintosh.
2. Imperious; domineering; arbitrary.
Mas"ter*ly, adv. With the skill of a
master.
Thou dost speak masterly.
Shak.
Mas"ter*ous (?), a.
Masterly. [Obs.]
Milton.
Mas"ter*piece` (?), n. Anything
done or made with extraordinary skill; a capital performance; a
chef-d'\'d2uvre; a supreme achievement.
The top and masterpiece of art.
South.
Dissimulation was his masterpiece.
Claredon.
Mas"ter*ship, n. 1. The state
or office of a master.
2. Mastery; dominion; superior skill;
superiority.
Where noble youths for mastership should
strive.
Driden.
3. Chief work; masterpiece.
[Obs.]
Dryden.
4. An ironical title of respect.
How now, seignior Launce ! what news with your
mastership ?
Shak.
Mas"ter*sing`er (?), n. [A
translation of G. meisters\'84nger.] One of
a class of poets which flourished in Nuremberg and some other
cities of Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. They bound
themselves to observe certain arbitrary laws of rhythm.
Mas"ter*wort` (?), n.
(Bot.) (a) A tall and coarse European
umbelliferous plant (Peucedanum Ostruthium, formerly
Imperatoria). (b) The
Astrantia major, a European umbelliferous plant with a
showy colored involucre. (c) Improperly, the
cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum).
Mas"ter*y (?), n.; pl.
Masteries (#). [OF.
maistrie.]
1. The position or authority of a master; dominion;
command; supremacy; superiority.
If divided by mountains, they will fight for the
mastery of the passages of the tops.
Sir W. Raleigh.
2. Superiority in war or competition; victory;
triumph; pre\'89minence.
The voice of them that shout for mastery.
Ex. xxxii. 18.
Every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things.
1 Cor. ix. 25.
O, but to have gulled him
Had been a mastery.
B. Jonson.
3. Contest for superiority.
[Obs.]
Holland.
4. A masterly operation; a feat.
[Obs.]
I will do a maistrie ere I go.
Chaucer.
5. Specifically, the philosopher's stone.
[Obs.]
6. The act process of mastering; the state of
having mastered.
He could attain to a mastery in all languages.
Tillotson.
The learning and mastery of a tongue, being
unpleasant in itself, should not be cumbered with other
difficulties.
Locke.
Mast"ful (?), a. [See lst
Mast.] Abounding in mast; producing mast in
abundance; as, the mastful forest; a
mastful chestnut.
Dryden.
Mast"head` (?), n.
(Naut.) The top or head of a mast; the part of a
mast above the hounds.
Mast"head", v. t. (Naut.) To
cause to go to the masthead as a punishment.
Marryat.
Mast"house` (?), n. A building
in which vessels' masts are shaped, fitted, etc.
Mas"tic (?), n. [F., fr. L.
mastiche, mastichum, Gr.
[Written also mastich.]
1. (Bot.) A low shrubby tree of the
genus Pistacia (P. Lentiscus), growing upon
the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean, and producing a
valuable resin; -- called also, mastic
tree.
2. A resin exuding from the mastic tree, and
obtained by incision. The best is in yellowish white,
semitransparent tears, of a faint smell, and is used as an
astringent and an aromatic, also as an ingredient in
varnishes.
3. A kind of cement composed of burnt clay,
litharge, and linseed oil, used for plastering walls, etc.
Barbary mastic (Bot.), the
Pistachia Atlantica. -- Peruvian mastic
tree (Bot.), a small tree (Schinus
Molle) with peppery red berries; -- called also
pepper tree. -- West Indian
mastic (Bot.), a lofty tree (Bursera
gummifera) full of gum resin in every part.
Mas"ti*ca*ble (?), a. Capable
of being masticated.
Mas`ti*ca"dor (?), n. [Cf. Sp.
mastigador. See Masticate.]
(Man.) A part of a bridle, the slavering
bit. [Written also mastigador.]
Mas"ti*cate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Masticated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Masticating
(?).] [L. masticatus, p. p.
of masticare to chew, prob. fr. mastiche
mastic. See Mastic.] To grind or crush with,
or as with, the teeth and prepare for swallowing and digestion;
to chew; as, to masticate food.
Mas"ti*ca`ter (?), n. One who
masticates.
Mas`ti*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
masticatio: cf. F. mastication.]
The act or operation of masticating; chewing, as of
food.
Mastication is a necessary preparation of solid
aliment, without which there can be no good digestion.
Arbuthnot.
Mas"ti*ca`tor (?), n. 1.
One who masticates.
2. A machine for cutting meat into fine pieces for
toothless people; also, a machine for cutting leather, India
rubber, or similar tough substances, into fine pieces, in some
processes of manufacture.
Mas"ti*ca*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
masticatoire.] Chewing; adapted to perform
the office o
Mas"ti*ca*to*ry, n.; pl.
-ries (. (Med.) A
substance to be chewed to increase the saliva.
Bacon.
Mas"tich (?), n. See
Mastic.
Mas"ti*cin (?), n.
(Chem.) A white, amorphous, tenacious substance
resembling caoutchouc, and obtained as an insoluble residue of
mastic.
Mas"ti*cot (?), n.
(Chem.) Massicot. [Obs.]
Mas"tiff (?), n.; pl.
Mastiffs (. [Mastives is
irregular and unusual.] [Prob. fr. Prov. E.
masty, adj., large, n., a great dog, prob. fr.
mast fruit, and hence, lit., fattened with mast. There
is perh. confusion with OF. mestif mongrel; cf. also
F. m\'83tin mastiff, OF. mastin.]
(Zo\'94l.) A breed of large dogs noted for
strength and courage. There are various strains, differing in
form and color, and characteristic of different countries.
Mastiff bat (Zo\'94l.) , any bat of
the genus Molossus; so called because the face
somewhat resembles that of a mastiff.
Mas"ti*go*pod (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) One of the Mastigopoda.
\'d8Mas`ti*gop"o*da (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) The Infusoria.
Mas"ti*gure (?), n. [Gr. (Zo\'94l.) Any
one of several large spiny-tailed lizards of the genus
Uromastix. They inhabit Southern Asia and North
Africa.
Mast"ing (?), n. (Naut.)
The act or process of putting a mast or masts into a vessel;
also, the scientific principles which determine the position of
masts, and the mechanical methods of placing them.
Masting house (Naut.), a large
building, with suitable mechanism overhanging the water, used for
stepping and unstepping the masts of vessels.
\'d8Mas*ti"tis (?), n. [Gr. -itis.] (Med.)
Inflammation of the breast.
Mast"less (?), a. [See lst
Mast.] Bearing no mast; as, a
mastless oak or beech.
Dryden.
Mast"less, a. [See 2d
Mast.] Having no mast; as, a
mastless vessel.
<-- p. 901 -->
Mast"lin (?), n. See
Maslin.
Mas"to*don (?), n. [Gr. (Paleon.)
An extinct genus of mammals closely allied to the elephant,
but having less complex molar teeth, and often a pair of lower,
as well as upper, tusks, which are incisor teeth. The species
were mostly larger than elephants, and their romains occur in
nearly all parts of the world in deposits ranging from Miocene to
late Quaternary time.
\'d8Mas`to*don*sau"rus (?), n.
[NL., fr. E. Mastodon + Gr.
(Paleon.) A large extinct genus of
labyrinthodonts, found in the European Triassic rocks.
Mas`to*don"tic (?), a.
Pertaining to, or resembling, a mastodon; as,
mastodontic dimensions.
Everett.
\'d8Mas`to*dyn"i*a (?),
Mas*tod"y*ny (, n. [NL.
mastodynia, fr. Gr.
(Med.) Pain occuring in the mamma or female
breast, -- a form of neuralgia.
Mas"toid (?), a. [Gr. masto\'8bde.]
(Anat.) (a) Resembling the nipple or the
breast; -- applied specifically to a process of the temporal bone
behind the ear. (b) Pertaining to, or in the
region of, the mastoid process; mastoidal.
Mas*toid"al (?), a. Same as
Mastoid.
Mas*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. -logy: cf. F.
mastologie.] The natural history of
Mammalia.
Mas"tress (?), n.
Mistress. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mas`tur*ba"tion (?), n. [L.
masturbatus, p. p. of masturbari to
practice onanism: cf. F. masturbation.]
Onanism; self-pollution.
Mast"y (?), a. [See lst
Mast.] Full of mast; abounding in acorns,
etc.
Ma*su"la boat` (?). Same as Masoola
boat.
Mat (?), n. [Cf.
Matte.] A name given by coppersmiths to an
alloy of copper, tin, iron, etc., usually called white
metal. [Written also matt.]
Mat, a. [OF. See 4th
Mate.] Cast down; dejected; overthrown;
slain. [Obs.]
When he saw them so piteous and so maat.
Chaucer.
Mat, n. [AS. matt,
meatt, fr. L. matta a mat made of
rushes.] 1. A fabric of sedge, rushes, flags,
husks, straw, hemp, or similar material, used for wiping and
cleaning shoes at the door, for covering the floor of a hall or
room, and for other purposes.
2. Any similar fabric for various uses, as for
covering plant houses, putting beneath dishes or lamps on a
table, securing rigging from friction, and the like.
3. Anything growing thickly, or closely interwoven,
so as to resemble a mat in form or texture; as, a
mat of weeds; a mat of hair.
4. An ornamental border made of paper, pasterboard,
metal, etc., put under the glass which covers a framed picture;
as, the mat of a daguerreotype.
Mat grass. (Bot.) (a) A
low, tufted, European grass (Nardus stricta).
(b) Same as Matweed. -- Mat
rush (Bot.), a kind of rush (Scirpus
lacustris) used in England for making mats.
Mat, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Matted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Matting.] 1. To cover or lay
with mats.
Evelyn.
2. To twist, twine, or felt together; to interweave
into, or like, a mat; to entangle.
And o'er his eyebrows hung his matted hair.
Dryden.
Mat, v. i. To grow thick together; to
become interwoven or felted together like a mat.
\'d8Ma`ta*chin" (?), n.
[Sp.] An old dance with swords and bucklers; a
sword dance.
Mat"a*co (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The three-banded armadillo
(Tolypeutis tricinctus). See Illust. under
Loricata.
{ Mat"a*dore, Mat"a*dor}
(?), n. [Sp. matador, prop.,
a killer, fr. matar to kill, L. mactare to
sacrifice, kill.]
1. The killer; the man appointed to kill the bull
in bullfights.
2. (Card Playing) In the game of
quadrille or omber, the three principal trumps, the ace of spades
being the first, the ace of clubs the third, and the second being
the deuce of a black trump or the seven of a red one.
When Lady Tricksey played a four,
You took it with a matadore.
Swift.
Mat`a*gasse" (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A shrike or butcher bird; -- called
also mattages. [Prov. Eng.]
\'d8Ma`ta*ma"ta (?), n.
[Pg.] (Zo\'94l.) The bearded tortoise
(Chelys fimbriata) of South American rivers.
Ma*tan"za (?), n. [Sp.,
slaughter, fr. matar to kill.] A place
where animals are slaughtered for their hides and tallow.
[Western U. S.]
Match (?), n. [OE.
macche, F. m\'8ache, F.
m\'8ache, fr. L. myxa a lamp nozzle, Gr.
Mucus.]
Anything used for catching and retaining or communicating
fire, made of some substance which takes fire readily, or remains
burning some time; esp., a small strip or splint of wood dipped
at one end in a substance which can be easily ignited by
friction, as a preparation of phosphorus or chlorate of
potassium.
Match box, a box for holding matches. --
Match tub, a tub with a perforated cover for
holding slow matches for firing cannon, esp. on board ship. The
tub contains a little water in the bottom, for extinguishing
sparks from the lighted matches. -- Quick match,
threads of cotton or cotton wick soaked in a solution of
gunpowder mixed with gum arabic and boiling water and afterwards
strewed over with mealed powder. It burns at the rate of one yard
in thirteen seconds, and is used as priming for heavy mortars,
fireworks, etc. -- Slow match, slightly
twisted hempen rope soaked in a solution of limewater and
saltpeter or washed in a lye of water and wood ashes. It burns at
the rate of four or five inches an hour, and is used for firing
cannon, fireworks, etc.
Match, n. [OE. macche, AS.
gem\'91cca; akin to gemaca, and to OS.
gimako, OHG. gimah fitting, suitable,
convenient, Icel. mark suitable, maki mate,
Sw. make, Dan. mage; all from the root of
E. make, v. See Make mate, and Make,
v., and cf. Mate an associate.]
1. A person or thing equal or similar to another;
one able to mate or cope with another; an equal; a mate.
Government . . . makes an innocent man, though of the lowest
rank, a match for the mightiest of his fellow
subjects.
Addison.
2. A bringing together of two parties suited to one
another, as for a union, a trial of skill or force, a contest, or
the like; as, specifically: (a) A contest to
try strength or skill, or to determine superiority; an emulous
struggle. \'bdMany a warlike match.\'b8
Drayton.
A solemn match was made; he lost the prize.
Dryden.
(b) A matrimonial union; a marriage.
3. An agreement, compact, etc. \'bdThy hand
upon that match.\'b8
Shak.
Love doth seldom suffer itself to be confined by other
matches than those of its own making.
Boyle.
4. A candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in
marriage. \'bdShe . . . was looked upon as the richest
match of the West.\'b8
Clarendon.
5. Equality of conditions in contest or
competition.
It were no match, your nail against his horn.
Shak.
6. Suitable combination or bringing together; that
which corresponds or harmonizes with something else; as, the
carpet and curtains are a match.
7. (Founding) A perforated board, block
of plaster, hardened sand, etc., in which a pattern is partly
imbedded when a mold is made, for giving shape to the surfaces of
separation between the parts of the mold.
Match boarding (Carp.), boards
fitted together with tongue and groove, or prepared to be so
fitted. -- Match game, a game arranged as a
test of superiority. -- Match plane
(Carp.), either of the two planes used to shape
the edges of boards which are joined by grooving and
tonguing. -- Match plate (Founding),
a board or plate on the opposite sides of which the halves of
a pattern are fastened, to facilitate molding.
Knight. -- Match wheel
(Mach.), a cogwheel of suitable pitch to work with
another wheel; specifically, one of a pair of cogwheels of equal
size.
Match, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Matched (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Matching.] 1. To be a
mate or match for; to be able to complete with; to rival
successfully; to equal.
No settled senses of the world can match
The pleasure of that madness.
Shak.
2. To furnish with its match; to bring a match, or
equal, against; to show an equal competitor to; to set something
in competition with, or in opposition to, as equal.
No history or antiquity can matchis policies and
his conduct.
South.
3. To oppose as equal; to contend successfully
against.
Eternal might
To match with their inventions they presumed
So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn.
Milton.
4. To make or procure the equal of, or that which
is exactly similar to, or corresponds with; as, to
match a vase or a horse; to match
cloth. \'bdMatching of patterns and
colors.\'b8
Swift.
5. To make equal, proportionate, or suitable; to
adapt, fit, or suit (one thing to another).
Let poets match their subject to their
strength.
Roscommon.
6. To marry; to give in marriage.
A senator of Rome survived,
Would not have matched his daughter with a king.
Addison.
7. To fit together, or make suitable for fitting
together; specifically, to furnish with a tongue and a groove, at
the edges; as, to match boards.
Matching machine, a planing machine for
forming a tongue or a groove on the edge of a board.
Match, v. i. 1. To be united in
marriage; to mate.
I hold it a sin to match in my kindred.
Shak.
Let tigers match with hinds, and wolves with
sheep.
Dryden.
2. To be of equal, or similar, size, figure, color,
or quality; to tally; to suit; to correspond; as, these vases
match.
Match"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being matched; comparable on equal conditions; adapted to being
joined together; correspondent. --
Match"a*ble*ness, n.
Sir Walter Raleigh . . . is matchable with the
best of the ancients.
Hakewill.
Match"-cloth` (?), n. A coarse
cloth.
Match"-coat` (?), n. A coat
made of match-cloth.
Match"er (?), n. One who, or
that which, matches; a matching machine. See under 3d
Match.
Match"less, a. [Cf.
Mateless.]
1. Having no equal; unequaled. \'bdA
matchless queen.\'b8
Waller.
2. Unlike each other; unequal; unsuited.
[Obs.] \'bdMatchless ears.\'b8
Spenser.
-- Match"less*ly, adv. --
Match"less*ness, n.
Match"lock` (?), n. An old form
of gunlock containing a match for firing the priming; hence, a
musket fired by means of a match.
Match"mak`er (?), n. 1.
One who makes matches for burning or kinding.
2. One who tries to bring about marriages.
Match"mak`ing, n. 1. The act or
process of making matches for kindling or burning.
2. The act or process of trying to bring about a
marriage for others.
Match"mak`ing, a. Busy in making or
contriving marriages; as, a matchmaking
woman.
\'d8Ma"te (?), n. [Sp.]
The Paraguay tea, being the dried leaf of the Brazilian
holly (Ilex Paraguensis). The infusion has a pleasant
odor, with an agreeable bitter taste, and is much used for tea in
South America.
Mate (?), n. [F.
mat, abbrev. fr. \'82chec et mat. See
Checkmate.] (Chess) Same as
Checkmate.
Mate, a. See 2d Mat.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mate, v. t. [F. mater to
fatigue, enfeeble, humiliate, checkmate. See Mate
checkmate.]
1. To confuse; to confound.
[Obs.]
Shak.
2. To checkmate.
Mate, n. [Perhaps for older
make a companion; cf. also OD. maet
companion, mate, D. maat. Cf. Make a
companion, Match a mate.] 1. One who
customarily associates with another; a companion; an associate;
any object which is associated or combined with a similar
object.
2. Hence, specifically, a husband or wife; and
among the lower animals, one of a pair associated for propagation
and the care of their young.
3. A suitable companion; a match; an equal.
Ye knew me once no mate
For you; there sitting where you durst not soar.
Milton.
4. (Naut.) An officer in a merchant
vessel ranking next below the captain. If there are more than one
bearing the title, they are called, respectively, first
mate, second mate, third mate, etc.
In the navy, a subordinate officer or assistant; as, master's
mate; surgeon's mate.
Mate, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Mating.] 1. To match; to
marry.
If she be mated with an equal husband.
Shak.
2. To match one's self against; to oppose as equal;
to compete with.
There is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it
mates and masters the fear of death.
Bacon.
I, . . . in the way of loyalty and truth, . . .
Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be.
Shak.
Mate, v. i. To be or become a mate or
mates, especially in sexual companionship; as, some birds
mate for life; this bird will not mate with
that one.
Mate"less, a. [Cf.
Matchless.] Having no mate.
Mat"e*lote (?), n. [F., fr.
matelot a sailor; properly, a dish such as sailors
prepare.] A dish of food composed of many kings of
fish.
Ma`te*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. mat\'82ologie.] A vain, unprofitable
discourse or inquiry. [R.]
Ma`te*o*tech"ny (?), n. [Gr.
Any unprofitable
science. [Obs.]
\'d8Ma"ter (?), n. [L., mother.
See Mother.] See Alma mater,
Dura mater, and Pia mater.
Ma*te"ri*al (?), a. [L.
materialis, fr. materia stuff, matter: cf.
F. mat\'82riel. See Matter, and cf.
Mat\'90riel.]
1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal;
physical; as, material substance or
bodies.
The material elements of the universe.
Whewell.
2. Hence: Pertaining to, or affecting, the physical
nature of man, as distinguished from the mental or moral nature;
relating to the bodily wants, interests, and comforts.
3. Of solid or weighty character; not
insubstantial; of cinsequence; not be dispensed with;
important.
Discourse, which was always material, never
trifling.
Evelyn.
I shall, in the account of simple ideas, set down only such as
are most material to our present purpose.
Locke.
4. (Logic.) Pertaining to the matter, as
opposed to the form, of a thing. See Matter.
Material cause. See under Cause.
-- Material evidence (Law), evidence
which conduces to the proof or disproof of a relevant hypothesis.
Wharton.
Syn. -- Corporeal; bodily; important; weighty; momentous;
essential.
Ma*te"ri*al, n. The substance or matter
of which anything is made or may be made.
Raw material, any crude, unfinished, or
elementary materials that are adapted to use only by processes of
skilled labor. Cotton, wool, ore, logs, etc., are raw
material.
Ma*te"ri*al, v. t. To form from matter;
to materialize. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Ma*te"ri*al*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
mat\'82rialisme.]
1. The doctrine of materialists; materialistic
views and tenets.
The irregular fears of a future state had been supplanted by
the materialism of Epicurus.
Buckminster.
2. The tendency to give undue importance to
material interests; devotion to the material nature and its
wants.
3. Material substances in the aggregate;
matter. [R. & Obs.]
A. Chalmers.
<-- p. 902 -->
Ma*te"ri*al*ist (?), n. [Cf. F.
mat\'82rialiste.] 1. One who
denies the existence of spiritual substances or agents, and
maintains that spiritual phenomena, so called, are the result of
some peculiar organization of matter.
2. One who holds to the existence of matter, as
distinguished from the idealist, who denies it.
Berkeley.
{ Ma*te`ri*al*is"tic (?),
Ma*te`ri*al*is"tic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to materialism or
materialists; of the nature of materialism.
But to me his very spiritualism seemed more
materialistic than his physics.
C. Kingsley.
Ma*te`ri*al"i*ty (?), n. [Cf.
F. mat\'82rialit\'82.]
1. The quality or state of being material; material
existence; corporeity.
2. Importance; as, the materiality of
facts.
Ma*te`ri*al*i*za"tion (?), n.
The act of materializing, or the state of being
materialized.
Ma*te"ri*al*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Materialized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Materializing
(?).] [Cf. F.
mat\'82rialiser.] 1. To invest
wich material characteristics; to make perceptible to the senses;
hence, to present to the mind through the medium of material
objects.
Having wich wonderful art and beauty materialized,
if I may so call it, a scheme of abstracted notions, and clothed
the most nice, refined conceptions of philosophy in sensible
images.
Tatler.
2. To regard as matter; to consider or explain by
the laws or principles which are appropriate to matter.
3. To cause to assume a character appropriate to
material things; to occupy with material interests; as, to
materialize thought.
4. (Spiritualism) To make visable in, or
as in, a material form; -- said of spirits.
A female spirit form temporarily materialized, and
not distinguishable from a human being.
Epes Sargent.
Ma*te"ri*al*ize, v. i. To appear as a
material form; to take substantial shape.
[Colloq.]
Ma*te"ri*al*ly, adv. 1. In the
state of matter.
I do not mean that anything is separable from a body by fire
that was not materially pre\'89xistent in it.
Boyle.
2. In its essence; substantially.
An ill intention is certainly sufficient to spoil . . . an act
in itself materially good.
South.
3. In an important manner or degree; essentaily;
as, it materially concern us to know the real
motives of our actions.
Ma*te"ri*al*ness, n. The state of being
material.
\'d8Ma*te"ri*a med"i*ca (?). [L. See
Matter, and Medical.] 1.
Material or substance used in the composition of remedies;
-- a general term for all substances used as curative agents in
medicine.
2. That branch of medical science which treats of
the nature and properties of all the substances that are employed
for the cure of diseases.
Ma*te`ri*a"ri*an (?), n. [L.
materiarius.] See
Materialist. [Obs.]
{ Ma*te"ri*ate (?),
Ma*te"ri*a`ted (?), } a.
[L. materiatus, p. p. of materiare to
build of wood.] Consisting of matter.
[Obs.]
Bacon.
Ma*te`ri*a"tion (?), n. [L.
materiatio woodwork.] Act of forming
matter. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
\'d8Ma`t\'82`ri`el" (?), n. [F.
See Material.] That in a complex system which
constitutes the materials, or instruments employed, in
distinction from the personnel, or men; as, the
baggage, munitions, provisions, etc., of an army; or the
buildings, libraries, and apparatus of a college, in distinction
from its officers.
Ma*te"ri*ous (?), a. See
Material. [Obs.]
Ma*ter"nal (?), a. [F.
maternel, L. maternus, fr. mater
mother. See Mother.] Of or pertaining to a
mother; becoming to a mother; motherly; as, maternal
love; maternal tenderness.
Syn. -- See Motherly.
Ma*ter"nal*ly, adv. In a motherly
manner.
Ma*ter"ni*ty (?), n. [F.
maternit\'82, LL. maternitas.]
The state of being a mother; the character or relation of a
mother.
Mat"fel*on (?), n. [W.
madfelen.] (Bot.) The knapweed
(Centaurea nigra).
Math (?), n. [AS.
mm\'bewan to mow, G.
mahd math. See Mow to cut (grass).]
A mowing, or that which is gathered by mowing; -- chiefly
used in composition; as, an aftermath.
[Obs.]
The first mowing thereof, for the king's use, is wont to be
sooner than the common math.
Bp. Hall.
Math`e*mat"ic (?), a. [F.
math\'82matique, L. mathematicus, Gr. mind. See Mind.] See
Mathematical.
Math`e*mat"ic*al (?), a. [See
Mathematic.] Of or pertaining to mathematics;
according to mathematics; hence, theoretically precise; accurate;
as, mathematical geography; mathematical
instruments; mathematical exactness. --
Math`e*mat"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Math`e*ma*ti"cian (?), n. [Cf.
F. math\'82maticien.] One versed in
mathematics.
Math`e*mat"ics (?), n. [F.
math\'82matiques, pl., L. mathematica,
sing., Gr. Mathematic, and
-ics.] That science, or class of sciences,
which treats of the exact relations existing between quantities
or magnitudes, and of the methods by which, in accordance with
these relations, quantities sought are deducible from other
quantities known or supposed; the science of spatial and
quantitative relations.
Mathematics embraces three departments,
namely: 1. Arithmetic.
2. Geometry, including
Trigonometry and Conic Sections.
3. Analysis, in which letters are
used, including Algebra, Analytical
Geometry, and Calculus. Each of these
divisions is divided into pure or abstract,
which considers magnitude or quantity abstractly, without
relation to matter; and mixed or applied,
which treats of magnitude as subsisting in material bodies, and
is consequently interwoven with physical considerations.
Math"er (?), n. See
Madder.
Math"es (?), n. [Perh.
corrupted fr. L. anthemis camomile, Gr.
(Bot.) The mayweed. Cf. Maghet.
\'d8Ma*the"sis (?), n. [L., fr.
Gr. Learning;
especially, mathematics. [R.]
Pope.
Math"u*rin (?), n. (R. C.
Ch.) See Trinitarian.
Ma*ti"co (?), n. (Bot.)
A Peruvian plant (Piper, ), allied to the pepper, the leaves of which are
used as a styptic and astringent.
Mat"ie (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
A fat herring with undeveloped roe. [Written
also matty.] [Eng. & Scot.]
\'d8M (?), n. [F.
m.] (Zo\'94l.) A French
mastiff.
Mat"in (?), n. [F. fr. L.
matutinum the morning, matutinus of the
morning, Matuta the goddess of the morning. See
Matutinal.] 1. Morning.
[Obs.]
Shak.
2. pl. [F. matines. See
Etymol. above.] Morning worship or service; morning
prayers or songs.
The winged choristers began
To chirp their matins.
Cleveland.
3. Time of morning service; the first canonical
hour in the Roman Catholic Church.
Mat"in, a. Of or pertaining to the
morning, or to matins; used in the morning; matutinal.
Mat"in*al (?), a. Relating to
the morning, or to matins; matutinal.
Mat`i*n\'82e" (?), n. [F., from
matin. See Matin.] A reception, or
a musical or dramatic entertainment, held in the daytime. See
Soir\'90e.
Ma*trass" (?), n. [F.
matras; perh. so called from its long narrow neck; cf.
OF. matras large arrow, L. materis,
mataris, matara, a Celtic javelin, pike; of
Celtic origin.] (Chem.) A round-bottomed
glass flask having a long neck; a bolthead.
Mat"ress (?), n. See
Matress.
Ma"tri*arch (?), n. [L.
mater mother + -arch.] The
mother and ruler of a family or of her descendants; a ruler by
maternal right.
Ma`tri*ar"chal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a matriarch; governed by a matriarch.
Ma"tri*ar"chate (?), n. The
office or jurisdiction of a matriarch; a matriarchal form of
government.
Ma"trice (?), n. [Cf. F.
matrice. See Matrix.] See
Matrix.
Mat"ri*ci`dal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to matricide.
Mat"ri*cide (?), n. [L.
matricidium; mater mother +
coedere to kill, slay: cf. F. matricide.
See Mother, and cf. Homicide.]
1. The murder of a mother by her son or
daughter.
2. [L. matricida: cf. F.
matricide.] One who murders one's own
mother.
Ma*tric"u*late (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Matriculated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Matriculating.] [L.
matricula a public roll or register, dim. of
matrix a mother, in respect to propagation, also, a
public register. See Matrix.] To enroll; to
enter in a register; specifically, to enter or admit to
membership in a body or society, particularly in a college or
university, by enrolling the name in a register.
In discovering and matriculating the arms of
commissaries from North America.
Sir W. Scott.
Ma*tric"u*late, v. i. To go though the
process of admission to membership, as by examination and
enrollment, in a society or college.
Ma*tric"u*late (?), a.
Matriculated. Skelton. -- n.
One who is matriculated.
Arbuthnot.
Ma*tric`u*la"tion (?), n. The
act or process of matriculating; the state of being
matriculated.
Mat"ri*moine (?), n.
Matrimony. [Obs.]
Mat`ri*mo"ni*al (?), a. [L.
matrimonialis: cf. F. matrimonial. See
Matrimony.] Of or pertaining to marriage;
derived from marriage; connubial; nuptial; hymeneal; as,
matrimonial rights or duties.
If he relied upon that title, he could be but a king at
courtesy, and have rather a matrimonial than a regal
power.
Bacon.
Syn. -- Connubial; conjugal; sponsal; spousal; nuptial;
hymeneal.
Mat`ri*mo"ni*al*ly, adv. In a
matrimonial manner.
Mat`ri*mo"ni*ous (?), a.
Matrimonial. [R.]
Milton.
Mat"ri*mo*ny (?), n. [OE.
matrimoine, through Old French, fr. L.
matrimonium, fr. mater mother. See
Mother.]
1. The union of man and woman as husband and wife;
the nuptial state; marriage; wedlock.
If either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be
lawfully joined together in matrimony, ye do now
confessit.
Book of Com. Prayer (Eng. Ed. )
2. A kind of game at cards played by several
persons.
Matrimony vine (Bot.), a climbing
thorny vine (Lycium barbarum) of the Potato
family.
Gray.
Syn. -- Marriage; wedlock. See Marriage.
Ma"trix (?), n.; pl.
Matrices (#). [L., fr.
mater mother. See Mother, and cf.
Matrice.]
1. (Anat.) The womb.
All that openeth the matrix is mine.
Ex. xxxiv. 19.
2. Hence, that which gives form or origin to
anything; as: (a) (Mech.) The
cavity in which anything is formed, and which gives it shape; a
die; a mold, as for the face of a type. (b)
(Min.) The earthy or stony substance in which
metallic ores or crystallized minerals are found; the
gangue. (c) pl. (Dyeing)
The five simple colors, black, white, blue, red, and yellow,
of which all the rest are composed.
3. (Biol.) The lifeless portion of
tissue, either animal or vegetable, situated between the cells;
the intercellular substance.
4. (Math.) A rectangular arrangement of
symbols in rows and columns. The symbols may express quantities
or operations.
Ma"tron (?), n. [F.
matrone, L. matrona, fr. mater
mother. See Mother.] 1. A wife or a
widow, especially, one who has borne children; a woman of staid
or motherly manners.
Your wives, your daughters,
Your matrons, and your maids.
Shak.
Grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a
matron before she was a mother.
Fuller.
2. A housekeeper; esp., a woman who manages the
domestic economy of a public instution; a head nurse in a
hospital; as, the matron of a school or
hospital.
Jury of matrons (Law), a jury of
experienced women called to determine the question of pregnancy
when set up in bar of execution, and for other cognate
purposes.
Mat"ron*age (?), n. 1.
The state of a matron.
2. The collective body of matrons.
Burke.
Can a politician slight the feelings and convictions of the
whole matronage of his country ?
Hare.
Mat"ron*al (?), a. [L.
matronalis.] Of or pertaining to a matron;
suitable to an elderly lady or to a married woman; grave;
motherly.
Ma"tron*hood (?), n. The state
of being a matron.
Mat"ron*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Matronized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Matronizing
(?).] 1. To make a matron of;
to make matronlike.
Childbed matronizes the giddiest spirits.
Richardson.
2. To act the part of a marton toward; to
superintend; to chaperone; as, to matronize an
assembly.
Ma"tron*like` (?), a. Like a
matron; sedate; grave; matronly.
Ma"tron*ly, a. 1. Advanced in
years; elderly.
2. Like, or befitting, a matron; grave;
sedate.
Mat`ro*nym"ic (?), n. [L.
mater mother + -nymic, as in
patronimic.] See Metronymic.
Ma*tross" (?), n. [D.
matroos, fr. F. matelot.]
(Mil.) Formerly, in the British service, a gunner
or a gunner's mate; one of the soldiers in a train of artillery,
who assisted the gunners in loading, firing, and sponging the
guns. [Obs.]
Matt (?), n. See
Matte.
Knight.
Mat`ta*ges" (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A shrike or butcher bird; -- written
also matagasse. [Prov.
Eng.]
Mat"ta*more` (?), n. [F.
matamore, from Ar. matm.] A
subterranean repository for wheat.
Matte (?), n. [F.
matte; cf. F. mat, masc., matte,
fem., faint, dull, dim; -- said of metals. See Mate
checkmate.] 1. (Metallurgy) A
partly reduced copper sulphide, obtained by alternately roasting
and melting copper ore in separating the metal from associated
iron ores, and called coarse metal,
fine metal, etc., according to the grade of
fineness. On the exterior it is dark brown or black, but on a
fresh surface is yellow or bronzy in color.
2. A dead or dull finish, as in gilding where the
gold leaf is not burnished, or in painting where the surface is
purposely deprived of gloss.
Mat"ted (?), a. [See
Matte.] Having a dull surface; unburnished;
as, matted gold leaf or gilding.
Matted glass, glass ornamented with figures on
a dull ground.
Mat"ted, a. [See 3d Mat.]
1. Covered with a mat or mats; as, a
matted floor.
2. Tangled closely together; having its parts
adhering closely together; as, matted
hair.
Mat"ter (?), n. [OE.
matere, F. mati\'8are, fr. L.
materia; perh. akin to L. mater mother. Cf.
Mother, Madeira, Material.]
1. That of which anything is composed; constituent
substance; material; the material or substantial part of
anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into which
a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the
embodiment.
He is the matter of virtue.
B. Jonson.
2. That of which the sensible universe and all
existent bodies are composed; anything which has extension,
occupies space, or is perceptible by the senses; body;
substance.
Matter is usually divided by
philosophical writers into three kinds or classes:
solid, liquid, and a\'89riform.
Solid substances are those whose parts firmly cohere
and resist impression, as wood or stone. Liquids have
free motion among their parts, and easily yield to impression, as
water and wine. A\'89riform substances are elastic
fluids, called vapors and gases, as air and
oxygen gas.
3. That with regard to, or about which, anything
takes place or is done; the thing aimed at, treated of, or
treated; subject of action, discussion, consideration, feeling,
complaint, legal action, or the like; theme. \'bdIf the
matter should be tried by duel.\'b8
Bacon.
Son of God, Savior of men ! Thy name
Shall be the copious matter of my song.
Milton.
Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but
every small matter they shall judge.
Ex. xviii. 22.
4. That which one has to treat, or with which one
has to do; concern; affair; business.
To help the matter, the alchemists call in many
vanities out of astrology.
Bacon.
Some young female seems to have carried matters so
far, that she is ripe for asking advice.
Spectator.
5. Affair worthy of account; thing of consequence;
importance; significance; moment; -- chiefly in the phrases
what matter ? no matter, and the
like.
A prophet some, and some a poet, cry;
No matter which, so neither of them lie.
Dryden.
6. Inducing cause or occasion, especially of
anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble.
And this is the matter why interpreters upon that
passage in
Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet
took a harlot to wife.
Milton.
<-- p. 903 -->
7. Amount; quantity; portion; space; -- often
indefinite.
Away he goes, . . . a matter of seven miles.
L' Estrange.
I have thoughts to tarry a small matter.
Congreve.
No small matter of British forces were commanded
over sea the year before.
Mi
lton.
8. Substance excreted from living animal bodies;
that which is thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or
abscess; pus; purulent substance.
9. (Metaph.) That which is permanent, or
is supposed to be given, and in or upon which changes are
effected by psychological or physical processes and relations; --
opposed to form.
Mansel.
10. (Print.) Written manuscript, or
anything to be set in type; copy; also, type set up and ready to
be used, or which has been used, in printing.
Dead matter (Print.), type which
has been used, or which is not to be used, in printing, and is
ready for distribution. -- Live matter
(Print.), type set up, but not yet printed
from. -- Matter in bar, Matter of
fact. See under Bar, and
Fact. -- Matter of record, anything
recorded. -- Upon the matter, Upon the whole matter, considering the
whole; taking all things into view.
Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were,
upon the whole matter, equal in foot.
Clarendon.
Mat"ter (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Mattered
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mattering.] 1. To be of
importance; to import; to signify.
It matters not how they were called.
Locke.
2. To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to
maturate. [R.] \'bdEach slight sore
mattereth.\'b8
Sir P. Sidney.
Mat"ter, v. t. To regard as important;
to take account of; to care for. [Obs.]
He did not matter cold nor hunger.
H. Brooke.
Mat"ter*less, a. 1. Not being,
or having, matter; as, matterless
spirits.
Davies (Wit's Pilgr. ).
2. Unimportant; immaterial.
[Obs.]
Mat"ter-of-fact" (?), a.
Adhering to facts; not turning aside from absolute
realities; not fanciful or imaginative; commonplace; dry.
Mat"ter*y (?), a. 1.
Generating or containing pus; purulent.
2. Full of substance or matter; important.
B. Jonson.
Mat"ting (?), n. [From
Mat, v. t. & i.] 1. The
act of interweaving or tangling together so as to make a mat; the
process of becoming matted.
2. Mats, in general, or collectively; mat work; a
matlike fabric, for use in covering floors, packing articles, and
the like; a kind of carpeting made of straw, etc.
3. Materials for mats.
4. An ornamental border. See 3d Mat,
4.
Mat"ting, n. [See Matte.]
A dull, lusterless surface in certain of the arts, as
gilding, metal work, glassmaking, etc.
Mat"tock (?), n. [AS.
mattuc; cf. W. matog.] An
implement for digging and grubbing. The head has two long steel
blades, one like an adz and the other like a narrow ax or the
point of a pickax.
'T is you must dig with mattock and with spade.
Shak.
Mat`to*wac"ca (?), n. [Indian
name.] (Zo\'94l.) An American clupeoid fish
(Clupea mediocris), similar to the shad in habits and
appearance, but smaller and less esteemed for food; -- called
also hickory shad, tailor
shad, fall herring, and
shad herring.
Mat"tress (?), n. [OF.
materas, F. matelas, LL.
matratium; cf. Sp. & Pg. almadraque, Pr.
almatrac; all from Ar. ma a place
where anything is thrown, what is thrown under something, fr.
to throw.]
1. A quilted bed; a bed stuffed with hair, moss, or
other suitable material, and quilted or otherwise fastened.
[Written also matress.]
2. (Hydraulic Engin.) A mass of
interwoven brush, poles, etc., to protect a bank from being worn
away by currents or waves.
Mat"u*rant (?), n. [L.
maturans, p. pr. See Maturate.]
(Med.) A medicine, or application, which promotes
suppuration.
Mat"u*rate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Maturated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Maturating
(?).] [L. maturatus, p. p.
of maturare to make ripe, fr. maturus ripe,
mature. See Mature, v. & a.]
1. To bring to ripeness or maturity; to
ripen.
A tree may be maturated artificially.
Fuller.
2. To promote the perfect suppuration of (an
abscess).
Mat"u*rate, v. i. To ripen; to become
mature; specif
Mat`u*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
maturatio a hastening: cf. F.
maturation.] The process of bringing, or of
coming, to maturity; hence, specifically, the process of
suppurating perfectly; the formation of pus or matter.
Mat"u*ra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
maturatif.] Conducing to ripeness or
maturity; hence, conducing to suppuration.
Mat"u*ra*tive, n. (Med.) A
remedy promoting maturation; a maturant.
Ma*ture" (?), a.
[Compar. Maturer (?);
superl. Maturest.] [L.
maturus; prob. akin to E. matin.]
1. Brought by natural process to completeness of
growth and development; fitted by growth and development for any
function, action, or state, appropriate to its kind; full-grown;
ripe.
Now is love mature in ear.
Tennison.
How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage,
Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age ?
Pope.
2. Completely worked out; fully digested or
prepared; ready for action; made ready for destined application
or use; perfected; as, a mature plan.
This lies glowing, . . . and is almost mature for
the violent breaking out.
Shak.
3. Of or pertaining to a condition of full
development; as, a man of mature years.
4. Come to, or in a state of, completed
suppuration.
Syn. -- Ripe; perfect; completed; prepared; digested;
ready. -- Mature, Ripe. Both
words describe fullness of growth. Mature
brings to view the progressiveness of the process;
ripe indicates the result. We speak of a thing as
mature when thinking of the successive
stayes through which it has passed; as
ripe, when our attention is directed merely to its
state. A mature judgment; mature
consideration; ripe fruit; a ripe
scholar.
Ma*ture" (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Matured
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Maturing.] [See Maturate,
Mature.] To bring or hasten to maturity; to
promote ripeness in; to ripen; to complete; as, to
mature one's plans.
Bacon.
Ma*ture", v. i. 1. To advance
toward maturity; to become ripe; as, wine matures by
age; the judgment matures by age and
experience.
2. Hence, to become due, as a note.
Ma*ture"ly, adv. 1. In a mature
manner; with ripeness; completely.
2. With caution; deliberately.
Dryden.
3. Early; soon. [A Latinism, little
used]
Bentley.
Ma*ture"ness, n. The state or quality of
being mature; maturity.
Ma*tur"er (?), n. One who
brings to maturity.
Mat`u*res"cent (?), a. [L.
maturescens, p. pr. of maturescere to
become ripe, v. incho. from maturus. See
Mature, a.] Approaching
maturity.
Ma*tur"ing (?), a. Approaching
maturity; as, maturing fruits; maturing
notes of hand.
Ma*tu"ri*ty (?), n. [L.
maturitas: cf. F. maturit\'82.]
1. The state or quality of being mature; ripeness;
full development; as, the maturity of corn or of
grass; maturity of judgment; the maturity of a
plan.
2. Arrival of the time fixed for payment; a
becoming due; termination of the period a note, etc., has to
run.
Mat`u*ti"nal (?), a. [L.
matutinalis, matutinus: cf. F.
matutinal. See Matin.] Of or
pertaining to the morning; early.
Ma*tu"ti*na*ry (?), a.
Matutinal. [R.]
Mat"u*tine (?), a.
Matutinal. [R.]
Mat"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
A name of several maritime grasses, as the sea sand-reed
(Ammophila arundinacea) which is used in Holland to
bind the sand of the seacoast dikes (see Beach
grass, under Beach); also, the Lygeum
Spartum, a Mediterranean grass of similar habit.
Mat"y (?), n. [Etymology
uncertain.] A native house servant in India.
Balfour (Cyc. of India).
\'d8Matz"oth (?), n. [Heb.
matsts, pl. of matsts\'beh
unleavened.] A cake of unleavened bread eaten by the
Jews at the feast of the Passover.<-- this is pl. form.
sing. is matzo or matzoh. Other plurals matzos and matzohs -->
\'d8Mau*ca"co (?), n. [From the
native name.] (Zo\'94l.) A lemur; --
applied to several species, as the White-fronted, the ruffed, and
the ring-tailed lemurs.
Maud (?), n. A gray plaid; --
used by shepherds in Scotland.
Mau"dle (?), v. t. To throw
onto confusion or disorder; to render maudlin.
[Obs.]
Maud"lin (?), a. [From
Maudlin, a contr. of Magdalen, OE.
Maudeleyne, who is drawn by painters with eyes swelled
and red with weeping.] 1. Tearful; easily
moved to tears; exciting to tears; excessively sentimental; weak
and silly. \'bdMaudlin eyes.\'b8
Dryden. \'bdMaudlin eloquence.\'b8
Roscommon. \'bdA maudlin poetess.\'b8
Pope. \'bdMaudlin crowd.\'b8
Southey.
2. Drunk, or somewhat drunk; fuddled; given to
drunkenness.
Maudlin Clarence in his malmsey butt.
Byron.
{ Maud"lin, Maude"line (?),
} n. (Bot.) An aromatic
composite herb, the costmary; also, the South European
Achillea Ageratum, a kind of yarrow.
Muad"lin*ism (?), n. A maudlin
state.
Dickens.
Maud"lin*wort` (?), n.
(Bot.) The oxeye daisy.
{ Mau"ger, Mau"gre } (?),
prep. [OF. maugr\'82,
malgr\'82, F. malgr\'82. See Mal-,
Malice, and Agree.] In spite of; in
opposition to; notwithstanding.
A man must needs love maugre his heed.
Chaucer.
This mauger all the world will I keep safe.
Shak.
Mau"gre, v. t. To defy.
[Obs.]
J. Webster.
Mau"kin (?), n. 1. See
Malkin.
2. (Zo\'94l.) A hare.
[Scot.]
Maul (?), n. [See Mall
a hammer.] A heavy wooden hammer or beetle.
[Written also mall.]
Maul, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mauled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mauling.] 1. To beat and
bruise with a heavy stick or cudgel; to wound in a coarse
manner.
Meek modern faith to murder, hack, and maul.
Pope.
2. To injure greatly; to do much harm to.
It mauls not only the person misrepreseted, but him
also to whom he is misrepresented.
South.
Maule (?), n. (Bot.)
The common mallow.
Maul"ing (?), n. A severe
beating with a stick, cudgel, or the fist.
Maul"-stick` (?), n. [G.
malerstock; maler a painter +
stock stick.] A stick used by painters as a
rest for the hand while working. [Written also
mahl-stick.]
Mau"met (?), n. See
Mawmet. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Maunch (?), v. t. To
munch. [Obs.]
Maunch (?), n. See
Manche.
Maund (?), n. [AS.
mand, mond.] A hand
basket. [Obs.]
Herrick.
Maund, n. [Hind, & Per.
man.] An East Indian weight, varying in
different localities from 25 to about 82 pounds
avoirdupois.
{ Maund (?), Maund"er
(?), } v. i. [Cf. F.
mendier to beg, E. mendicant.]
1. To beg. [Obs.]
B. Jonson. Beau. & Fl.
2. To mutter; to mumble; to grumble; to speak
indistinctly or disconnectedly; to talk incoherently.
He was ever maundering by the how that he met a
party of scarlet devils.
Sir W. Scott.
Maund"er, v. t. To utter in a grumbling
manner; to mutter.
Maund"er, n. A beggar.
[Obs.]
Maund"er*er (?), n. One who
maunders.
Maun"dril (?), n. [Cf.
Mandrel.] (Coa A pick
with two prongs, to pry with.
Maun"dy Thurs"day (?). [OE.
maunde a command, OF. mand\'82, L.
mandatum, from mandare to command. See
called from the ancient custom of washing the feet of the poor on
this day, which was taken to be the fulfillment of the \'bdnew
commandment,\'b8 John xiii. 5, 34.]
(Eccl.) The Thursday in Passion week, or next
before Good Friday.
Maun"gy (?), a. Mangy.
[Obs.]
Skelton.
Mau*resque" (?), a. & n. See
Moresque.
Maur"ist (?), n. [From
Maurus, the favorite disciple of St. Benedict.]
A member of the Congregation of Saint Maur, an offshoot of
the Benedictines, originating in France in the early part of the
seventeenth century. The Maurists have been
distinguished for their interest in literature.
Mau`so*le"an (?), a. [L.
Mausoleus. See Mausoleum.]
Pertaining to a mausoleum; monumental.
Mau`so*le"um (?), n.; pl. E.
Mausoleums (#), L. -lea
(#). [L. mausoleum, Gr. A magnificent tomb, or
stately sepulchral monument.
Mau"ther (?), n. [Cf. AS.
m\'91g a maid.] [Also spelled
mawther, mother.] A girl;
esp., a great, awkward girl; a wench. [Prov.
Eng.]
Mauv`an"i*line (?), n.
(Chem.) See Mauve aniline, under
Mauve.
Mauve (?), n. [F., mallow, L.
malva. So named from the similarity of the color to
that of the petals of common mallow, Malva sylvestris.
See Mallow.] A color of a delicate purple,
violet, or lilac.
Mauve aniline (Chem.), a dyestuff
produced artificially by the oxidation of commercial aniline, and
the first discovered of the so-called coal-tar, or
aniline, dyes. It consists of the sulphate of
mauve\'8bne, and is a dark brown or bronze amorphous powder,
which dissolves to a beatiful purple color. Called also
aniline purple, violine,
etc.
Mauve"\'8bne (?), n.
(Chem.) An artificial organic base, obtained by
oxidizing a mixture of aniline and toluidine, and valuable for
the dyestuffs it forms. [Written also
mauvine.]
Mauv"ine (?), a.
Mauve-colored.
Mav"er*ick (?), n. In the
southwestern part of the united States, a bullock or heifer that
has not been branded, and is unclaimed or wild; -- said to be
from Maverick, the name of a cattle owner in Texas who
naglected to brand his cattle.
Ma"vis (m, n.
[F. mauvis, Arm. milvid,
milfid, milc'hhouid, Corn.
melhuez.] (Zo\'94l.) The
European throstle or song thrush (Turdus
musicus).
Maw (?), n. [See Mew a
gull.] (Zo\'94l.) A gull.
Maw, n. [OE. mawe, AS.
maga stomach; akin to D. maag, OHG.
mago, G. magen, Icel. magi, Sw.
mage, Dan. mave.
1. A stomach; the receptacle into which food is
taken by swallowing; in birds, the craw; -- now used only of the
lower animals, exept humorously or in contempt.
Chaucer.
Bellies and maws of living creatures.
Bacon.
2. Appetite; inclination. [Obs.]
Unless you had more maw to do me good.
Beau. & Fl.
Fish maw. (Zo\'94l.) See under
Fish.
Maw, n. An old game at cards.
Sir A. Weldon.
Mawk (?), n. [OE.
mauk, ma, Icel. ma;
akin to Dan. maddik, and E. mad an
earthworm. See Mad, n.]
1. A maggot. [Scot.]
2. A slattern; a mawks. [Prov.
Eng.]
Maw"kin (?), n. See
Malkin, and Maukin.
Mawk"ing*ly (?), adv.
Slatternly. [Obs.]
Mawk"ish, a. [Orig., maggoty. See
Mawk.]
1. Apt to cause satiety or loathing; nauseous;
disgusting.
So sweetly mawkish', and so smoothly dull.
Pope.
2. Easily disgusted; squeamish; sentimentally
fastidious.
J. H. Newman.
Mawk"ish*ly, adv. In a mawkish
way.
Mawk"ish*ness, n. The quality or state
of being mawkish.
J. H. Newman.
Mawks (?), n. A slattern; a
mawk. [Prov. Eng.]
Mawk"y (?), a. Maggoty.
[Prov. Eng.]
Maw"met (?), n. [Contr. fr.
Mahomet.] A puppet; a doll; originally, an
idol, because in the Middle Ages it was generally believed that
the Mohammedans worshiped images representing Mohammed.
[Obs.]
Wyclif. Beau. & Fl.
Maw"met*ry (?), n. The religion
of Mohammed; also, idolatry. See Mawmet.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Maw"mish (?), a. [Prov. E.
maum soft, mellow, rotten; cf. OD. molm
rotten wood, G. mulm.] Nauseous.
[Obs.]
L' Estrange.
Maw"seed` (?), n. [Cf. G.
magsamen.] (Bot.) The seed of
the opium poppy.
Maw"worm` (?), n.
[Maw the belly + worm.]
(Zo\'94l.) (a) Any intestinal worm found
in the stomach, esp. the common round worm (Ascaris
lumbricoides), and allied species. (b)
One of the larv\'91 of botflies of horses; a bot.
\'d8Max*il"la (?), n.; pl.
Maxill\'91 (#). [L., dim. of
mala jaw, jawbone.] 1.
(Anat.) (a) The bone of either the upper
or the under jaw. (b) The bone, or principal
bone, of the upper jaw, the bone of the lower jaw being the
mandible. [Now commonly used in this
restricted sense.]
2. (Zo\'94l.) One of the lower or outer
jaws of arthropods.
Illust. under
Lepidoptera, and Diptera.
<-- p. 904 -->
{ Max"il*lar (?), Max"il*la*ry
(?), } a. [L.
maxillaris, fr. maxilla jawbone, jaw: cf.
F. maxillaire.] 1. (Anat.)
Pertaining to either the upper or the lower jaw, but now
usually applied to the upper jaw only. --
n. The principal maxillary bone; the
maxilla.
2. (Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to a
maxilla.
Max*il"li*form (?), a.
[Maxilla + -form: cf. F.
maxilliforme.] Having the form, or
structure, of a maxilla.
Max*il"li*ped (?), n.
[Maxilla + L. pes, pedis,
foot.] (Zo\'94l.) One of the mouth
appendages of Crustacea, situated next behind the maxill\'91.
Crabs have three pairs, but many of the lower Crustacea have but
one pair of them. Called also jawfoot, and
foot jaw.
Max*il`lo-man*dib"u*lar (?), a.
[Maxilla + mandibular.]
(Anat.) Pertaining to the maxilla and mandible;
as, the maxillo-mandibular nerve.
Max*il`lo-pal"a*tine (?), a.
[Maxilla + palatine.]
(Anat.) Pertaining to the maxillary and palatine
regions of the skull; as, the maxillo-palatine
process of the maxilla. Also used as n.
Max*il`lo*tur`bi*nal (?), a.
[Maxilla + turbinal.]
(Anat.) Pertaining to the maxillary and turbinal
regions of the skull. -- n. The
maxillo-turbinal, or inferior turbinate, bone.
Max"im (?), n. [F.
maxime, L. maxima (sc.
sententia), the greatest sentence, proposition, or
axiom, i. e., of the greatest weight or authority, fem. fr.
maximus greatest, superl. of magnus great.
See Magnitude, and cf. Maximum.]
1. An established principle or proposition; a
condensed proposition of important practical truth; an axiom of
practical wisdom; an adage; a proverb; an aphorism.
'T is their maxim, Love is love's reward.
Dryden.
2. (Mus.) The longest note formerly
used, equal to two longs, or four breves; a large.
Syn. -- Axiom; aphorism; apothegm; adage; proverb; saying.
See Axiom.
Max`i*mil"ian (?), n. [From the
proper name.] A gold coin of Bavaria, of the value of
about 13s. 6d. sterling, or about three dollars and a
quarter.
Max`i*mi*za"tion (?), n. The
act or process of increasing to the highest degree.
Bentham.
Max"i*mize (?), v. t. [L.
maximus greatest.] To increase to the
highest degree.
Bentham.
Max"i*mum (?), n.; pl.
Maxima (#). [L., neut. from
maximus the greatest. See Maxim.]
The greatest quantity or value attainable in a given case;
or, the greatest value attained by a quantity which first
increases and then begins to decrease; the highest point or
degree; -- opposed to minimum.
Good legislation is the art of conducting a nation to the
maximum of happiness, and the minimum of misery.
P. Colquhoun.
Maximum thermometer, a thermometer that
registers the highest degree of temperature attained in a given
time, or since its last adjustment.
Max"i*mum, a. Greatest in quantity or
highest in degree attainable or attained; as, a
maximum consumption of fuel; maximum pressure;
maximum heat.
May (?), v.
[imp. Might
(?)] [AS. pres. m\'91g I am
able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D.
mogen, G. m\'94gen, OHG. mugan,
magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan,
Russ. moche. Dismay, Main
strength, Might. The old imp. mought is
obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary
verb qualifyng the meaning of another verb, by expressing:
(a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener
expressed by can.
How may a man, said he, with idle speech,
Be won to spoil the castle of his health !
Spenser.
For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what
he may do as just, and what he may do as
possible.
Bacon.
For of all sad words of tongue or pen
The saddest are these: \'bdIt might have been.\'b8
Whittier.
(b) Liberty; permission; allowance.
Thou mayst be no longer steward.
Luke xvi. 2.
(c) Contingency or liability; possibility or
probability.
Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance
Some general maxims, or be right by chance.
Pope.
(d) Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to
soften a question or remark.
How old may Phillis be, you ask.
Prior.
(e) Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation,
benediction, and the like. \'bdMay you live
happily.\'b8
Dryden.
May be, It may be,
are used as equivalent to possibly,
perhaps, by chance, peradventure.
See 1st Maybe.
May, n. [Cf. Icel. m\'91r,
Goth. mawi; akin to E. maiden.
A maiden. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
May, n. [F. Mai, L.
Maius; so named in honor of the goddess
Maia (Gr. 1. The fifth month of
the year, containing thirty-one days.
Chaucer.
2. The early part or springtime of life.
His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood.
Shak.
3. (Bot.) The flowers of the hawthorn;
-- so called from their time of blossoming; also, the
hawthorn.
The palm and may make country houses gay.
Nash.
Plumes that micked the may.
Tennyson.
4. The merrymaking of May Day.
Tennyson.
Italian may (Bot.), a shrubby
species of Spir\'91a (S. hypericifolia)
with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender
branches. -- May apple (Bot.), the
fruit of an American plant (Podophyllum peltatum).
Also, the plant itself (popularly called
mandrake), which has two lobed leaves, and
bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and
leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic. --
May beetle, May bug
(Zo\'94l.), any one of numerous species of large
lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May. They
belong to Melolontha, and allied genera. Called also
June beetle. -- May Day,
the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic parts of
England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by
dancing about a May pole. -- May dew, the
morning dew of the first day of May, to which magical properties
were attributed. -- May flower (Bot.),
a plant that flowers in May; also, its blossom. See
Mayflower, in the vocabulary. -- May fly
(Zo\'94l.), any species of Ephemera,
and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many
species appear in May. See Ephemeral fly, under
Ephemeral. -- May game, any May-day
sport. -- May lady, the queen or lady of May,
in old May games. -- May lily (Bot.),
the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis).
-- May pole. See Maypole in the
Vocabulary. -- May queen, a girl or young
woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day. -- May
thorn, the hawthorn.
\'d8Ma"ya (?), n. (Hindoo
Philos.) The name for the doctrine of the unreality of
matter, called, in English, idealism; hence,
nothingness; vanity; illusion.
May"be (?), adv. [For it
may be.] Perhaps; possibly; peradventure.
Maybe the amorous count solicits her.
Shak.
In a liberal and, maybe, somewhat reckless way.
Tylor.
May"be, a. Possible; probable, but not
sure. [R.]
Then add those maybe years thou hast to live.
Driden.
May"be, n. Possibility;
uncertainty. [R.]
What they offer is mere maybe and shift.
Creech.
May"bird` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) (a) The whimbrel; -- called
also May fowl, May curlew,
and May whaap. (b) The
knot. [Southern U. S.] (c) The
bobolink.
May"bloom` (?), n. (Bot.)
The hawthorn.
May"bush` (?), n. (Bot.)
The hawthorn.
May"duke` (?), n. [Corrupt. of
M\'82doc, a province in France, where it is supposed
to have originated.] A large dark-red cherry of
excellent quality.
May"fish` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A common American minnow
(Fundulus majalis). See Minnow.
May"flow`er (?), n.
(Bot.) In England, the hawthorn; in New England,
the trailing arbutus (see Arbutus); also, the blossom of
these plants.
May"hap (?), adv. Perhaps;
peradventure. [Prov. or Dialectic]
May"hem (?), n. [The same as
maim. See Maim.] (Law)
The maiming of a person by depriving him of the use of any
of his members which are necessary for defense or protection. See
Maim.
May"ing (?), n. The celebrating
of May Day. \'bdHe met her once a-Maying.\'b8
Milton.
Ma`yon`naise" (?), n.
[F.] A sauce compounded of raw yolks of eggs
beaten up with olive oil to the consistency of a sirup, and
seasoned with vinegar, pepper, salt, etc.; -- used in dressing
salads, fish, etc. Also, a dish dressed with this sauce.
May"or (?), n. [OE.
maire, F. maire, fr. L. major
greater, higher, nobler, compar. of magnus great; cf.
Sp. mayor. See Major, and cf.
Merino.] The chief magistrate of a city or
borough; the chief officer of a municipal corporation. In some
American cities there is a city court of which the major is chief
judge.
\'d8May"or*al (?), n. [Sp., fr.
mayor greater, L. major.] The
conductir of a mule team; also, a head shepherd.
May"or*al*ty (?), n. The
office, or the term of office, of a mayor.
May"or*ess (?), n. The wife of
a mayor.
May"or*ship, n. The office of a
mayor.
May"pole` (?), n. A tall pole
erected in an open place and wreathed with flowers, about which
the rustic May-day sports were had.
May"pop (?), n. [Perh. corrupt.
fr. maracock.] (Bot.) The edible
fruit of a passion flower, especially that of the North American
Passiflora incarnata, an oval yellowish berry as large
as a small apple.
May"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) A composite plant (Anthemis Cotula),
having a strong odor; dog's fennel. It is a native of Europe, now
common by the roadsides in the United States. (b)
The feverfew.
{ Ma*za"ma (?), Ma*za"me
(?), } n. (Zo\'94l.) A
goatlike antelope (Haplocerus montanus) which inhabits
the Rocky Mountains, frequenting the highest parts; -- called
also mountain goat.
Maz"ard (?), n. [Cf. F.
merise a wild cherry.] (Bot.) A
kind of small black cherry.
Maz"ard, n. [Prob. fr. mazer,
the head being compared to a large goblet.] The jaw;
the head or skull. [Obs.]
Shak.
Maz"ard, v. t., To knock on the
head. [Obs.]
Maz`a*rine" (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Cardinal Mazarin, prime minister of
France, 1643-1661.
Mazarine Bible, the first Bible, and perhaps
the first complete book, printed with movable metal types; --
printed by Gutenberg at Mentz, 1450-55; -- so called because a
copy was found in the Mazarine Library, at Paris, about
1760. -- Mazarine blue, a deep blue color,
named in honor of Cardinal Mazarin.
Maz`a*rine", n. Mazarine blue.
Maz"de*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Ahura-Mazda, or Ormuzd, the beneficent
deity in the Zoroastrian dualistic system; hence,
Zoroastrian.
Maz"de*ism (?), n. The
Zoroastrian religion.
Maze (?), n. [OE.
mase; cf. OE. masen to confuse, puzzle,
Norweg. masast to fall into a slumber, masa
to be continually busy, prate, chatter, Icel. masa to
chatter, dial. Sw. masa to bask, be slow, work slowly
and lazily, mas slow, lazy.] 1. A
wild fancy; a confused notion. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
2. Confusion of thought; perplexity; uncertainty;
state of bewilderment.
3. A confusing and baffling network, as of paths or
passages; an intricacy; a labyrinth. \'bdQuaint
mazes on the wanton green.\'b8
Shak.
Or down the tempting maze of Shawford brook.
Wordaworth.
The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate,
Puzzled with mazes, and perplexed with error.
Addison.
Syn. -- Labyrinth; intricacy. See Labyrinth.
Maze (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mazed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Mazing.] To
perplex greatly; to bewilder; to astonish and confuse; to
amaze.
South.
Maze, v. i. To be bewildered.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Maz"ed*ness (?), n. The
condition of being mazed; confusion; astonishment.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Maze"ful (?), a. Mazy.
[Obs.]
Sir P. Sidney.
Maz"er (?), n. [OE.
maser, akin to OD. maser an excrescence on
a maple tree, OHG. masar, G. maser spot,
Icel. m\'94surr maple.] A large drinking
bowl; -- originally made of maple. [Obs.]
Their brimful mazers to the feasting bring.
Drayton.
Ma"zi*ly (?), adv. In a mazy
manner.
Ma"zi*ness, n. The state or quality of
being mazy.
Maz`o*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to mazology.
Ma*zol"o*gist (?), n. One
versed in mazology or mastology.
Ma*zol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. -logy.] Same as
Mastology.
{ Ma*zour"ka (?), Ma*zur"ka
(?), } n. A Polish dance, or the
music which accompanies it, usually in 3-4 or 3-8 measure, with a
strong accent on the second beat.
Ma"zy (?), a. [From
Maze.] Perplexed with turns and windings;
winding; intricate; confusing; perplexing; embarrassing; as,
mazy error.
Milton.
To range amid the mazy thicket.
Spenser.
To run the ring, and trace the mazy round.
Dryden.
Me (?), pron. One. See
Men, pron. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Me (?), pers. pron. [AS.
m, dat. & acc., mec, acc. only ; akin to
D. mij, G. mich, Icel. & Goth.
mik, L. me, Gr. m\'be, m\'bem. Mine.] The person speaking, regarded as an
object; myself; a pronoun of the first person used as the
objective and dative case of the pronoum I; as, he struck
me; he gave me the money, or he gave the money
to me; he got me a hat, or he got a hat for
me.
methinks, me is properly in
the dative case, and the verb is impersonal, the construction
being, it appears to me. In early use me
was often placed before forms of the verb to be with
an adjective; as, me were lief.
Me rather had my heart might frrl your love
Than my unpleased eye see your courtesy.
Shak.
Meach (?), v. i. To skulk; to
cower. See Mich.
Mea"cock (?), n. [Prob. fr.
meek + cock.] An uxorious, effeminate, or
spiritless man. [Obs.]
Johnson.
Mead (?), n. [OE.
mede, AS. meodo; akin to D.
mede, G. met, meth, OHG.
metu, mitu, Icel. mj\'94,
Dan. mi\'94d, Sw. mj\'94d, Russ.
med', Lith. midus, W. medd, Gr.
madhu honey, a sweet drink, as adj.,
sweet. Metheglin.] 1. A
fermented drink made of water and honey with malt, yeast, etc.;
metheglin; hydromel.
Chaucer.
2. A drink composed of sirup of sarsaparilla or
other flavoring extract, and water. It is sometimes charged with
carbonic acid gas. [U. S.]
Mead, n. [AS. m. See
Meadow.] A meadow.
A mede
All full of freshe flowers, white and reede.
Chaucer.
To fertile vales and dewy meads
My weary, wandering steps he leads.
Addison.
Mead"ow (?), n. [AS.
meady; akin to m, and to G.
matte; prob. also to E. mow. See
Mow to cut (grass), and cf. 2d Mead.]
1. A tract of low or level land producing grass
which is mown for hay; any field on which grass is grown for
hay.
2. Low land covered with coarse grass or rank
herbage near rives and in marshy places by the sea; as, the
salt meadows near Newark Bay.
Mead"ow, a. Of or pertaining to a
meadow; of the nature of a meadow; produced, growing, or living
in, a meadow. \'bdFat meadow ground.\'b8
Milton.
meadow, see the particular word in the
Vocabulary.
Meadow beauty. (Bot.) Same as
Deergrass. -- Meadow foxtail
(Bot.), a valuable pasture grass (Alopecurus
pratensis) resembling timothy, but with softer spikes.
-- Meadow grass (Bot.), a name given to
several grasses of the genus Poa, common in meadows,
and of great value for nay and for pasture. See
Grass. -- Meadow hay, a coarse
grass, or true sedge, growing in uncultivated swamp or river
meadow; -- used as fodder or bedding for cattle, packing for ice,
etc. [Local, U. S.] -- Meadow hen.
(Zo\'94l.) (a) The American bittern.
See Stake-driver. (b) The American coot
(Fulica). (c) The clapper rail.
-- Meadow lark (Zo\'94l.), any species
of Sturnella, a genus of American birds allied to the
starlings. The common species (S. magna) has a yellow
breast with a black crescent. -- Meadow mouse
(Zo\'94l.), any mouse of the genus
Arvicola, as the common American species A.
riparia; -- called also field mouse, and
field vole. -- Meadow mussel
(Zo\'94l.), an American ribbed mussel
(Modiola plicatula), very abundant in salt
marshes. -- Meadow ore (Min.),
bog-iron ore , a kind of limonite. -- Meadow
parsnip. (Bot.) See under
Parsnip. -- Meadow pink.
(Bot.) See under Pink. --
Meadow pipit (Zo\'94l.), a small
singing bird of the genus Anthus, as A.
pratensis, of Europe. -- Meadow rue
(Bot.), a delicate early plant, of the genus
Thalictrum, having compound leaves and numerous white
flowers. There are many species. -- Meadow
saffron. (Bot.) See under
Saffron. -- Meadow sage.
(Bot.) See under Sage. --
Meadow saxifrage (Bot.), an
umbelliferous plant of Europe (Silaus pratensis),
somewhat resembling fennel. -- Meadow snipe
(Zo\'94l.), the common or jack snipe.
<-- p. 905 -->
{ Mead"ow*sweet` (?),
Mead"ow*wort` (?), } n.
(Bot.) The name of several plants of the genus
Spir\'91a, especially the white- or pink-flowered
S. salicifolia, a low European and American shrub, and
the herbaceous S. Ulmaria, which has fragrant white
flowers in compound cymes.
Mead"ow*y (?), a. Of or
pertaining to meadows; resembling, or consisting of,
meadow.
{ Mea"ger, Mea"gre } (?),
a. [OE. merge, F. maigre,
L. macer; akin to D. & G. mager, Icel.
magr, and prob. to Gr. Emaciate, Maigre.]
1. Destitue of, or having little, flesh;
lean.
Meager were his looks;
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones.
Shak.
2. Destitute of richness, fertility, strength, or
the like; defective in quantity, or poor in quality; poor;
barren; scanty in ideas; wanting strength of diction or affluence
of imagery. \'bdMeager soil.\'b8
Dryden.
Of secular habits and meager religious belief.
I. Taylor.
His education had been but meager.
Motley.
3. (Min.) Dry and harsh to the touch, as
chalk.
Syn. -- Thin; lean; lank; gaunt; starved; hungry; poor;
emaciated; scanty; barren.
{ Mea"ger, Mea"gre }, v.
t. To make lean. [Obs.]
{ Mea"ger*ly, Mea"gre*ly },
adv. Poorly; thinly.
{ Mea"ger*ness, Mea"gre*ness },
n. The state or quality of being meager;
leanness; scantiness; barrenness.
Mea"gre (?), n. [F.
maigre.] (Zo\'94l.) A large
European sci\'91noid fish (Sci\'91na umbra or S.
aquila), having white bloodless flesh. It is valued as a
food fish. [Written also maigre.]
Meak (?), n. [Cf. AS.
m sword, OS. m\'beki, Icel.
m\'91kir.] A hook with a long handle.
[Obs.]
Tusser.
Meak"ing, n. [See Meak.]
(Naut.) The process of picking out the oakum from
the seams of a vessel which is to be recalked.
Meaking iron (Naut.), the tool with
which old oakum is picked out of a vessel's seams.
Meal (?), n. [OE.
mele, AS. m part, portion, portion of
time; akin to E. meal a repast. Cf.
Piecemeal.] A part; a fragment; a
portion. [Obs.]
Meal, n. [OE. mel; akin to E.
meal a part, and to D. maal time, meal, G.
mal time, mahl meal, Icel.
m\'bel measure, time, meal, Goth. m
time, and to E. measure. See Measure.]
The portion of food taken at a particular time for the
satisfaction of appetite; the quantity usually taken at one time
with the purpose of satisfying hunger; a repast; the acas, the traveler has not eaten a good
meal for a week; there was silence during the
meal.
What strange fish
Hath made his meal on thee ?
Shak.
Meal, n. [OE. mele, AS.
melu, melo; akin to D. meel, G.
mehl, OHG. melo, Icel. mj\'94l,
SW. mj\'94l, Dan. meel, also to D.
malen to grind, G. mahlen, OHG., OS., &
Goth. malan, Icel. mala, W.
malu, L. molere, Gr. mill. Mill, Mold soil,
Mole an animal, Immolate,
Molar.]
1. Grain (esp. maize, rye, or oats) that is
coarsely ground and unbolted; also, a kind of flour made from
beans, pease, etc.; sometimes, any flour, esp. if coarse.
2. Any substance that is coarsely pulverized like
meal, but not granulated.
Meal beetle (Zo\'94l.), the adult
of the meal worm. See Meal worm, below. --
Meal moth (Zo\'94l.), a lepidopterous
insect (Asopia farinalis), the larv\'91 of which feed
upon meal, flour, etc. -- Meal worm
(Zo\'94l.), the larva of a beetle (Tenebrio
molitor) which infests granaries, bakehouses, etc., and is
very injurious to flour and meal.
Meal, v. t. 1. To sprinkle
with, or as with, meal.
Shak.
2. To pulverize; as, mealed
powder.
Meal"ies (?), n. pl. [From
Mealy.] (Bot.) Maize or Indian
corn; -- the common name in South Africa.
Meal"i*ness (?), n. The quality
or state of being mealy.
Meal"-mouthed` (?), a. See
Mealy-mouthed.
Meal"time` (?), n. The usual
time of eating a meal.
Meal"y (?), a.
[Compar. Mealier (?);
superl. Mealiest.]
1. Having the qualities of meal; resembling meal;
soft, dry, and friable; easily reduced to a condition resembling
meal; as, a mealy potato.
2. Overspread with something that resembles meal;
as, the mealy wings of an insect.
Shak.
Mealy bug (Zo\'94l.), a scale
insect (Coccus adonidum, and related species), covered
with a white powderlike substance. It is a common pest in
hothouses.
Meal"y-mouthed` (?), a. Using
soft words; plausible; affectedly or timidly delicate of speech;
unwilling to tell the truth in plain language.
\'bdMealy-mouthed philanthropies.\'b8
Tennyson.
She was a fool to be mealy-mouthed where nature
speaks so plain.
L'Estrange.
-- Meal"y-mouth`ness (#),
n.
Mean (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Meant (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Meaning.]
[OE. menen, AS. m to recite,
tell, intend, wish; akin to OS. m to have in
mind, mean, D. meenen, G. meinen, OHG.
meinan, Icel. meina, Sw. mena,
Dan. mene, and to E. mind. Mind, and cf. Moan.] 1. To
have in the mind, as a purpose, intention, etc.; to intend; to
purpose; to design; as, what do you mean to do
?
What mean ye by this service ?
Ex. xii. 26.
Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto
good.
Gen. 1. 20.
I am not a Spaniard
To say that it is yours and not to mean it.
Longfellow.
2. To signify; to indicate; to import; to
denote.
What mean these seven ewe lambs ?
Gen. xxi. 29.
Go ye, and learn what that me.
Matt. ix. 13.
Mean, v. i. To have a purpose or
intention. [Rare, except in the phrase to mean well,
or ill.]
Shak.
Mean (?), a.
[Compar. Meaner (?);
superl. Meanest.] [OE.
mene, AS. m wicked; akin to
m\'ben, a., wicked, n., wickedness, OS.
m wickedness, OHG. mein, G.
meineid perjury, Icel. mein harm, hurt, and
perh. to AS. gem common, general, D.
gemeen, G. gemein, Goth.
gam\'a0ins, and L. communis. The AS.
gem prob. influenced the meaning.]
1. Destitute of distinction or eminence; common;
low; vulgar; humble. \'bdOf mean parentage.\'b8
Sir P. Sidney.
The mean man boweth down, and the great man
humbleth himself.
Is. ii. 9.
2. Wanting dignity of mind; low-minded; base;
destitute of honor; spiritless; as, a mean
motive.
Can you imagine I so mean could prove,
To save my life by changing of my love ?
Dryden.
3. Of little value or account; worthy of little or
no regard; contemptible; despicable.
The Roman legions and great C\'91sar found
Our fathers no mean foes.
J. Philips.
4. Of poor quality; as, mean
fare.
5. Penurious; stingy; close-fisted; illiberal;
as, mean hospitality.
Mean is sometimes used in the formation
of compounds, the sense of which is obvious without explanation;
as, meanborn, mean-looking, etc.
Syn. -- Base; ignoble; abject; beggarly; wretched; degraded;
degenerate; vulgar; vile; servile; menial; spiritless; groveling;
slavish; dishonorable; disgraceful; shameful; despicable;
contemptible; paltry; sordid. See Base.
Mean, a. [OE. mene, OF.
meiien, F. moyen, fr. L.
medianus that is in the middle, fr. medius;
akin to E. mid. See Mid.] 1.
Occupying a middle position; middle; being about midway
between extremes.
Being of middle age and a mean stature.
Sir. P. Sidney.
2. Intermediate in excellence of any kind.
According to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or
lowly.
Milton.
3. (Math.) Average; having an
intermediate value between two extremes, or between the several
successive values of a variable quantity during one cycle of
variation; as, mean distance; mean motion;
mean solar day.
Mean distance (of a planet from the sun)
(Astron.), the average of the distances throughout
one revolution of the planet, equivalent to the semi-major axis
of the orbit. -- Mean error (Math.
Phys.), the average error of a number of observations
found by taking the mean value of the positive and negative
errors without regard to sign. -- Mean-square
error, Error of the mean square
(Math. Phys.), the error the square of which is
the mean of the squares of all the errors; -- called also,
especially by European writers, mean
error. -- Mean line.
(Crystallog.) Same as Bisectrix. --
Mean noon, noon as determined by mean time.
-- Mean proportional (between two numbers)
(Math.), the square root of their product. --
Mean sun, a fictitious sun supposed to move
uniformly in the equator so as to be on the meridian each day at
mean noon. -- Mean time, time as measured by
an equable motion, as of a perfect clock, or as reckoned on the
supposition that all the days of the year are of a mean or
uniform length, in contradistinction from apparent
time, or that actually indicated by the sun, and from
sidereal time, or that measured by the stars.
Mean, n. 1. That which is mean,
or intermediate, between two extremes of place, time, or number;
the middle point or place; middle rate or degree; mediocrity;
medium; absence of extremes or excess; moderation; measure.
But to speak in a mean, the virtue of prosperity is
temperance; the virtue of adversity is fortitude.
Bacon.
There is a mean in all things.
Dryden.
The extremes we have mentioned, between which the
wellinstracted Christian holds the mean, are
correlatives.
I. Taylor.
2. (Math.) A quantity having an
intermediate value between several others, from which it is
derived, and of which it expresses the resultant value; usually,
unless otherwise specified, it is the simple average, formed by
adding the quantities together and dividing by their number,
which is called an arithmetical mean. A
geometrical mean is the square root of the product of
the quantities.
3. That through which, or by the help of which, an
end is attained; something tending to an object desired;
intermediate agency or measure; necessary condition or coagent;
instrument.
Their virtuous conversation was a mean to work the
conversion of the heathen to Christ.
Hooker.
You may be able, by this mean, to review your own
scientific acquirements.
Coleridge.
Philosophical doubt is not an end, but a mean.
Sir W. Hamilton.
means, and often with a singular attribute
or predicate, as if a singular noun.
By this means he had them more at vantage.
Bacon.
What other means is left unto us.
Shak.
4. pl. Hence: Resources; property,
revenue, or the like, considered as the condition of easy
livelihood, or an instrumentality at command for effecting any
purpose; disposable force or substance.
Your means are very slender, and your waste is
great.
Shak.
5. (Mus.) A part, whether alto or tenor,
intermediate between the soprano and base; a middle part.
[Obs.]
The mean is drowned with your unruly base.
Shak.
6. Meantime; meanwhile. [Obs.]
Spenser.
7. A mediator; a go-between.
[Obs.]
Piers Plowman.
He wooeth her by means and by brokage.
Chaucer.
By all means, certainly; without fail; as,
go, by all means. -- By any means,
in any way; possibly; at all.
If by any means I might attain to the resurrection
of the dead.
Phil. iii. ll.
-- By no means, By no manner of
means, not at all; certainly not; not in any degree.
The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so
good as that on the other.
Addison.
Me*an"der (?), n. [L.
Maeander, orig., a river in Phrygia, proverbial for
its many windings, Gr. m\'82andre.]
1. A winding, crooked, or involved course; as,
the meanders of the veins and arteries.
Sir M. Hale.
While lingering rivers in meanders glide.
Sir R. Blackmore.
2. A tortuous or intricate movement.
3. (Arch.) Fretwork. See
Fret.
Me*an"der, v. t. To wind, turn, or
twist; to make flexuous.
Dryton.
Me*an"der, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Meandered (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Meandering.] To wind or turn
in a course or passage; to be intricate.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran.
Coleridge.
Me*an"dri*an (?), a. [L.
Maeandrius: cf. F. m\'82andrien.]
Winding; having many turns.
\'d8Me`an*dri"na (?), n. [NL.:
cf. F. m\'82andrine.] (Zo\'94l.)
A genus of corals with meandering grooves and ridges,
including the brain corals.
{ Me*an"drous (?), Me*an"dry
(?), } a. Winding; flexuous.
Mean"ing (?), n. 1.
That which is meant or intended; intent; purpose; aim;
object; as, a mischievous meaning was
apparent.
If there be any good meaning towards you.
Shak.
2. That which is signified, whether by act
lanquage; signification; sence; import; as, the
meaning of a hint.
3. Sense; power of thinking.
[R.]
-- Mean"ing*less, a. --
Mean"ing*ly, adv.
Mean"ly, adv. [Mean
middle.] Moderately. [Obs.]
A man meanly learned himself, but not
meanly affectioned to set forward learning in
others.
Ascham.
Mean"ly, adv. [From Mean
low.] In a mean manner; unworthily; basely; poorly;
ungenerously.
While the heaven-born child
All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies.
Milton.
Would you meanly thus rely
On power you know I must obey ?
Prior.
We can not bear to have others think meanly of them
[our kindred].
I. Watts.
Mean"ness, n. 1. The condition,
or quality, of being mean; want of excellence; poorness; lowness;
baseness; sordidness; stinginess.
This figure is of a later date, by the meanness of
the workmanship.
Addison.
2. A mean act; as, to be guilty of
meanness.
Goldsmith.
Mean"-spir`it*ed (?), a. Of a
mean spirit; base; groveling. --
Mean"-spir`it*ed*ness,
n.
Meant (?), imp. & p. p. of
Mean.
{ Mean"time` (?), Mean"while`
(?), } n. The intervening time;
as, in the meantime (or mean
time).
{ Mean"time`, Mean"while`, }
adv. In the intervening time; during the
interval.
Mear (?), n. A boundary. See
Mere. [Obs.]
Mease (?), n. [Cf. G.
mass measure.] Five hundred; as, a
mease of herrings. [Prov. Eng.]
Mea"sel*ry (?), n. [OE.
meselrie, OF. mesellerie. See lst
Measle.] Leprosy. [Obs.]
R. of Brunne.
Mea"sle (?), n. [OE.
mesel, OF. mesel, LL. misellus,
L. misellus unfortunate, dim. of miser. See
Miser.] A leper. [Obs.]
[Written also meazel, and
mesel.]
Wyclif (Matt. x. 8. ).
Mea"sle, n. (Zo\'94l.) A
tapeworm larva. See 2d Measles, 4.
Mea"sled (?), a. [See 2d
Measles.] Infected or spotted with measles,
as pork. -- Mea"sled*ness,
n.
Mea"sles (?), n. [From lst
Measle.] Leprosy; also, a leper.
[Obs.]
Mea"sles, n.; pl. in form, but used as
singular in senses 1, 2, & 3. [D.
mazelen; akin to G. masern, pl., and E.
mazer, and orig. meaning, little spots. See
Mazer.]
1. (Med.) A contagious febrile disorder
commencing with catarrhal symptoms, and marked by the appearance
on the third day of an eruption of distinct red circular spots,
which coalesce in a crescentic form, are slightly raised above
the surface, and after the fourth day of the eruption gradually
decline; rubeola.
Measles commences with the ordinary symptoms of
fever.
Am. Cyc.
<-- p. 906 -->
2. (Veter. Med.) A disease of cattle and
swine in which the flesh is filled with the embryos of different
varieties of the tapeworm.
3. A disease of trees. [Obs.]
4. pl. (Zo\'94l.) The
larv\'91 of any tapeworm (T\'91nia) in the cysticerus
stage, when contained in meat. Called also bladder
worms.
Mea"sly (?), a. 1.
Infected with measles.
2. (Zo\'94l.) Containing larval
tapeworms; -- said of pork and beef.
Meas"ur*a*ble (?), a. [F.
mesurable, L. mensurabilis. See
Measure, and cf. Mensurable.]
1. Capable of being measured; susceptible of
mensuration or computation.
2. Moderate; temperate; not excessive.
Of his diet measurable was he.
Chaucer.
-- Meas"ur*a*ble*ness, n. --
Meas"ur*a*bly, adv.
Yet do it measurably, as it becometh
Christians.
Latimer.
Meas"ure (?), n. [OE.
mesure, F. mesure, L. mensura,
fr. metiri, mensus, to measure; akin to
metrum poetical measure, Gr. meter.
Cf. Immense, Mensuration, Mete to
measure.] 1. A standard of dimension; a fixed
unit of quantity or extent; an extent or quantity in the
fractions or multiples of which anything is estimated and stated;
hence, a rule by which anything is adjusted or judged.
2. An instrument by means of which size or quantity
is measured, as a graduated line, rod, vessel, or the like.
False ells and measures be brought all clean
adown.
R. of Gloucester.
3. The dimensions or capacity of anything, reckoned
according to some standard; size or extent, determined and
stated; estimated extent; as, to take one's measure
for a coat.
The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and
broader than the sea.
Job xi. 9.
4. The contents of a vessel by which quantity is
measured; a quantity determined by a standard; a stated or
limited quantity or amount.
It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three
measures of meal.
Luke xiii. 21.
5. Extent or degree not excessive or beyong bounds;
moderation; due restraint; esp. in the phrases, in
measure; with measure; without or
beyond measure.
Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without
measure.
Is. v. 14.
6. Determined extent, not to be exceeded; limit;
allotted share, as of action, influence, ability, or the like;
due proportion.
Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of
my days.
Ps. xxxix. 4.
7. The quantity determined by measuring, especially
in buying and selling; as, to give good or full
measure.
8. Undefined quantity; extent; degree.
There is a great measure of discretion to be used
in the performance of confession.
Jer. Taylor.
9. Regulated division of movement:
(a) (Dancing) A regulated movement
corresponding to the time in which the accompanying music is
performed; but, especially, a slow and stately dane, like the
minuet. (b) (Mus.) (1) The group
or grouping of beats, caused by the regular recurrence of
accented beats. (2) The space between two bars.
See Beat, Triple, Quadruple,
Sextuple, Compound time, under
Compound, a., and Figure.
(c) (Poetry) The manner of ordering and
combining the quantities, or long and short syllables; meter;
rhythm; hence, a foot; as, a poem in iambic
measure.
10. (Arith.) A number which is contained
in a given number a number of times without a remainder; as in
the phrases, the common measure, the greatest
common measure, etc., of two or more numbers.
11. A step or definite part of a progressive course
or policy; a means to an end; an act designed for the
accomplishment of an object; as, political measures;
prudent measures; an inefficient
measure.
His majesty found what wrong measures he had taken
in the conferring that trust, and lamented his error.
Clarendon.
12. The act of measuring; measurement.
Shak.
13. pl. (Geol.) Beds or
strata; as, coal measures; lead
measures.
Lineal, Long,
measure, measure of length; the measure of
lines or distances. -- Liquid measure, the
measure of liquids. -- Square measure, the
measure of superficial area of surfaces in square units, as
inches, feet, miles, etc. -- To have hard
measure, to have harsh treatment meted out to one; to
be harshly or oppressively dealt with. -- To take
measures, to make preparations; to provide means.
-- To take one's measure, to measure one, as for a
garment; hence, to form an opinion of one's disposition,
character, ability, etc. -- To tread a measure,
to dance in the style so called. See 9
(a).
Say to her, we have measured many miles
To tread a measure with her on this grass.
Shak.
Meas"ure, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Measured (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Measuring.] [F.
mesurer, L. mensurare. See
Measure, n.] 1. To
ascertain by use of a measuring instrument; to compute or
ascertain the extent, quantity, dimensions, or capacity of, by a
certain rule or standard; to take the dimensions of; hence, to
estimate; to judge of; to value; to appraise.
Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite
Thy power! what thought can measure thee?
Milton.
2. To serve as the measure of; as, the
thermometer measures changes of temperature.
3. To pass throught or over in journeying, as if
laying off and determining the distance.
A true devoted pilgrim is not weary
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps.
Shak.
4. To adjust by a rule or standard.
To secure a contented spirit, measure your desires
by your fortunes, not your fortunes by your desires.
Jer. Taylor.
5. To allot or distribute by measure; to set off or
apart by measure; -- often with out or
off.
With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to
you again.
Matt. vii. 2.
That portion of eternity which is called time,
measured out by the sun.
Addison.
To measure swords with one, to try another's
skill in the use of the sword; hence, figuratively, to match
one's abilities against an antagonist's.
Meas"ure (?), v. i. 1.
To make a measurement or measurements.
2. To result, or turn out, on measuring; as,
the grain measures well; the pieces measure
unequally.
3. To be of a certain size or quantity, or to have
a certain length, breadth, or thickness, or a certain capacity
according to a standard measure; as, cloth measures
three fourths of a yard; a tree measures three feet in
diameter.
Meas"ured (?), a. Regulated or
determined by a standard; hence, equal; uniform; graduated;
limited; moderated; as, he walked with measured
steps; he expressed himself in no measured
terms. -- Meas"ured*ly,
adv.
Meas"ure*less (?), a. Without
measure; unlimited; immeasurable. --
Meas"ure*less*ness, n.
Syn. -- Boundless; limitless; endless; unbounded; unlimited;
vast; immense; infinite; immeasurable.
<-- Where Alf, the sacred river ran,
Through canyons measureless to man,
Down to a hidden sea.
Coleridge -->
Meas"ure*ment (?), n. 1.
The act or result of measuring; mensuration; as,
measurement is required.
2. The extent, size, capacity, amount. or quantity
ascertained by measuring; as, its measurement is
five acres.
Meas"ur*er (?), n. One who
measures; one whose occupation or duty is to measure commondities
in market.
Meas"ur*ing, a. Used in, or adapted for,
ascertaining measurements, or dividing by measure.
Measuring faucet, a faucet which permits only
a given quantity of liquid to pass each time it is opened, or one
by means of which the liquid which passes can be measured.
-- Measuring worm (Zo\'94l.), the larva
of any geometrid moth. See Geometrid.
Meat (?), n. [OE.
mete, AS. mete; akin to OS. mat,
meti, D. met hashed meat, G.
mettwurst sausage, OHG. maz food, Icel.
matr, Sw. mat, Dan. mad, Goth.
mats. Cf. Mast fruit, Mush.]
1. Food, in general; anything eaten for
nourishment, either by man or beast. Hence, the edible part of
anything; as, the meat of a lobster, a nut, or an
egg.
Chaucer.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, . . . to you it shall be for meat.
Gen. i. 29.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for
you.
Gen. ix. 3.
2. The flesh of animals used as food; esp., animal
muscle; as, a breakfast of bread and fruit without
meat.
3. Specifically, dinner; the chief meal.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Meat biscuit. See under Biscuit.
-- Meat earth (Mining), vegetable mold.
Raymond. -- Meat fly.
(Zo\'94l.) See Flesh fly, under
Flesh. -- Meat offering
(Script.), an offering of food, esp. of a cake
made of flour with salt and oil. -- To go to
meat, to go to a meal. [Obs.] --
To sit at meat, to sit at the table in taking
food.
Meat, v. t. To supply with food.
[Obs.]
Tusser.
His shield well lined, his horses meated well.
Chapman.
Me*a"tal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a meatus; resembling a meatus.
Owen.
Meat"ed (?), a. 1.
Fed; fattened. [Obs.]
Tusser.
2. Having (such) meat; -- used chiefly in
composition; as, thick-meated.
{ Meath, Meathe (?) },
n. [See Mead.] A sweet
liquor; mead. [Obs.]
Chaucer. Milton.
Meat"i*ness (?), n. Quality of
being meaty.
Meat"less, a. Having no meat; without
food.
\'bdLeave these beggars meatless.\'b8
Sir T. More.
Me*at"o*scope (?), n.
[Meatus + -scope.]
(Med.) A speculum for examining a natural
passage, as the urethra.
Me*at"o*tome (?), n.
[Meatus + Gr.
(Surg.) An instrument for cutting into the
urethra so as to enlarge its orifice.
\'d8Me*a"tus (?), n. sing. & pl.;
E. pl. Meatuses (.
[L., a going, passage, fr. meare to go.]
(Anat.) A natural passage or canal; as, the
external auditory meatus. See Illust. of
Ear.
Meat"y (?), a. Abounding in
meat.
Meaw (?), n. The sea mew.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
Meaw, v. i. See Mew, to cry as
a cat.
Meawl (?), v. i. See
Mewl, and Miaul.
Mea"zel (?), n. See 1st
Measle. [Obs.]
Meaz"ling (?), a. Falling in
small drops; mistling; mizzing. [Obs.]
Arbuthnot.
Me"bles (?), n. pl. See
Moebles. [Obs.]
\'d8Me*ca"te (?), n.
[Sp.] A rope of hair or of maguey fiber, for
tying horses, etc. [Southwestern U. S.]
Mec`ca*wee" (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Mecca, in Arabia. -- n.
A native or inhabitant of Mecca.
Me*chan"ic (?), n. [F.
m\'82canique mechanics. See Mechanic,
a.] 1. The art of the application
of the laws of motion or force to construction.
[Obs.]
2. A mechanician; an artisan; an artificer; one who
practices any mechanic art; one skilled or employed in shaping
and uniting materials, as wood, metal, etc., into any kind of
structure, machine, or other object, requiring the use of tools,
or instruments.
An art quite lost with our mechanics.
Sir T. Browne.
Me*chan"ic (?), a. [F.
m\'82canique, L. mechanicus, Gr. Machine.] 1.
Having to do woth the application of the laws of motion in
the art of constructing or making things; of or pertaining to
mechanics; mechanical; as, the mechanic
arts. \'bdThese mechanic philosophers.\'b8
Ray.
Mechanic slaves,
With greasy aprons, rules, and hammers.
Shak.
2. Of or pertaining to a mechanic or artificer, or
to the class of artisans; hence, rude; common; vulgar.
To make a god, a hero, or a king
Descend to a mechanic dialect.
Roscommon.
Sometimes he ply'd the strong, mechanic tool.
Thomson.
3. Base. [Obs.]
Whitlock.
Me*chan"ic*al (?), a. [From
Mechanic, a.]
1. Pertaining to, governed by, or in accordance
with, mechanics, or the laws of motion; pertaining to the
quantitative relations of force and matter, as distinguished from
mental, vital, chemical, etc.;
as, mechanical principles; a mechanical
theory; mechanical deposits.
2. Of or pertaining to a machine or to machinery or
tools; made or formed by a machine or with tools; as,
mechanical precision; mechanical
products.
We have also divers mechanical arts.
Bacon.
3. Done as if by a machine; uninfluenced by will or
emotion; proceeding automatically, or by habit, without special
intention or reflection; as, mechanical singing;
mechanical verses; mechanical
service.
4. Made and operated by interaction of forces
without a directing intelligence; as, a mechanical
universe.
5. Obtained by trial, by measurements, etc.;
approximate; empirical. See the 2d Note under
Geometric.
Mechanical effect, effective power; useful
work exerted, as by a machine, in a definite time. --
Mechanical engineering. See the Note under
Engineering. -- Mechanical maneuvers
(Mil.), the application of mechanical appliances
to the mounting, dismounting, and moving of artillery.
Farrow. -- Mechanical philosophy,
the principles of mechanics applied to the inverstigation of
physical phenomena. -- Mechanical powers,
certain simple instruments, such as the lever and its
modifications (the wheel and axle and the pulley), the inclined
plane with its modifications (the screw and the wedge), which
convert a small force acting throught a great space into a great
force acting through a small space, or vice versa, and
are used separately or in combination. -- Mechanical
solution (Math.), a solution of a problem by
any art or contrivance not strictly geometrical, as by means of
the ruler and compasses, or other instruments.
Me*chan"ic*al, n. A mechanic.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Me*chan"ic*al*ize (?), v. t. To
cause to become mechanical.
Me*chan"ic*al*ly, adv. In a mechanical
manner.
Me*chan"ic*al*ness, n. The state or
quality of being mechanical.
Mech`a*ni"cian (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82canicien. See Mechanic.] One
skilled in the theory or construction of machines; a
machinist.
Boyle.
Me*chan`i*co-chem"ic*al (?), a.
Pertaining to, connected with, or dependent upon, both
mechanics and chemistry; -- said especially of those sciences
which treat of such phenomena as seem to depend on the laws both
of mechanics and chemistry, as electricity and magnetism.
Me*chan"ics (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82canique.] That science, or branch of
applied mathematics, which treats of the action of forces on
bodies.
mechanics which considers
the action of forces in producing rest or equilibrium is called
statics; that which relates to such action in
producing motion is called dynamics. The term
mechanics includes the action of forces on all bodies,
whether solid, liquid, or gaseous. It is sometimes, however, and
formerly was often, used distinctively of solid bodies
only: The mechanics of liquid bodies is called also
hydrostatics, or hydrodynamics,
according as the laws of rest or of motion are considered. The
mechanics of gaseous bodies is called also
pneumatics. The mechanics of fluids in motion,
with special reference to the methods of obtaining from them
useful results, constitutes hydraulics.
Animal mechanics (Physiol.), that
portion of physiology which has for its object the investigation
of the laws of equilibrium and motion in the animal body. The
most important mechanical principle is that of the lever, the
bones forming the arms of the levers, the contractile muscles the
power, the joints the fulcra or points of support, while the
weight of the body or of the individual limbs constitutes the
weight or resistance. -- Applied mechanics,
the principles of abstract mechanics applied to human art;
also, the practical application of the laws of matter and motion
to the construction of machines and structures of all
kinds.
Mech"an*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82canisme, L. mechanisma. See
Mechanic.] 1. The arrangement or
relation of the parts of a machine; the parts of a machine, taken
collectively; the arrangement or relation of the parts of
anything as adapted to produce an effect; as, the
mechanism of a watch; the mechanism of a sewing
machine; the mechanism of a seed pod.
2. Mechanical operation or action.
He acknowledges nothing besides matter and motion; so that all
must be performed either by mechanism or accident.
Bentley.
3. (Kinematics) An ideal machine; a
combination of movable bodies constituting a machine, but
considered only with regard to relative movements.
Mech"an*ist, n. 1. A maker of
machines; one skilled in mechanics.
2. One who regards the phenomena of nature as the
effects of forces merely mechanical.
Mech"an*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mechanized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mechanizing
(?).] [Cf. F.
m\'82chaniser.] To cause to be
mechanical.
Shelley.
Mech"an*o*graph (?), n. [Gr.
-graph.] One of a number of
copies of anything multiplied mechanically.
<-- p. 907 -->
Mech`an*o*graph`ic (?), a.
1. Treating of mechanics. [R.]
2. Written, copied, or recorded by machinery;
produced by mechanography; as, a mechanographic
record of changes of temperature; mechanographic
prints.
Mech`an*og"ra*phist (?), n. An
artist who, by mechanical means, multiplies copies of works of
art.
Mech`an*og"ra*phy (?), n. The
art of mechanically multiplying copies of a writing, or any work
of art.
Mech"an*ur`gy (?), n. [Gr. That branch of
science which treats of moving machines.
Mech"i*tar*ist (?), n. [From
Mechitar, an Armenian., who founded the congregation
in the early part of the eighteenth century.] (Eccl.
Hist.) One of a religious congregation of the Roman
Catholic Church devoted to the improvement of Armenians.
Mech"lin (?), n. A kind of lace
made at, or originating in, Mechlin, in Belgium.
Me*cho"a*can (?), n. A species
of jalap, of very feeble properties, said to be obtained from the
root of a species of Convolvulus (C.
Mechoacan); -- so called from Michoacan, in
Mexico, whence it is obtained.
Meck*e"li*an (?), a.
(Anat.) Pertaining to, or discovered by, J. F.
Meckel, a German anatomist.
Meckelian cartilage, the cartilaginous rod
which forms the axis of the mandible; -- called also
Meckel's cartilage.
Mec"o*nate (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82conate.] (Chem.) A salt of
meconic acid.
Me*con"ic (?), a. [Gr. m\'82conique.] Pertaining to, or obtained
from, the poppy or opium; specif. (Chem.), designating
an acid related to aconitic acid, found in opium and extracted as
a white crystalline substance.
Me*con"i*dine (?), n.
(Chem) An alkaloid found in opium, and extracted
as a yellow amorphous substance which is easily decomposed.
\'d8Mec`o*nid"i*um (?), n.
[NL., dim. of Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A kind of gonophore produced by
hydroids of the genus Gonothyr\'91a. It has tentacles,
and otherwise resembles a free medusa, but remains attached by a
pedicel.
Mec"o*nin (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82conine.] (Chem.) A
substance regarded as an anhydride of meconinic acid, existing in
opium and extracted as a white crystalline substance. Also
erroneously called meconina, meconia, etc.,
as though it were an alkaloid.
Mec`o*nin"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid
which occurs in opium, and which may be obtained by oxidizing
narcotine.
\'d8Me*co"ni*um (?), n. [L.,
fr. Gr. (Med.) (a)
Opium. [Obs.] (b) The
contents of the fetal intestine; hence, first excrement.
Med"al (?), n. [F.
m\'82daille, It. medaglia, fr. L.
metallum metal, through (assumed) LL.
metalleus made of metal. See Metal, and cf.
Mail a piece of money.] A piece of metal in
the form of a coin, struck with a device, and intended to
preserve the remembrance of a notable event or an illustrious
person, or to serve as a reward.
Med"al, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Medaled (?), or Medalled;
p. pr. & vb. n. Medaling or
Medalling.] To honor or reward with a
medal. \'bdMedaled by the king.\'b8
Thackeray.
Med"al*et (?), n. A small
medal.
Med"al*ist, n. [Cf. F.
m\'82dailliste, It. medaglista.]
[Written also medallist.]
1. A person that is skilled or curious in medals; a
collector of medals.
Addison.
2. A designer of medals.
Macaulay.
3. One who has gained a medal as the reward of
merit.
Me*dal"lic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a medal, or to medals. \'bdOur
medallic history.\'b8
Walpole.
Me*dal"lion (?), n. [F.
m\'82daillion, It. medaglione, augm. of
medaglia. See Medal.]
1. A large medal or memorial coin.
2. A circular or oval (or, sometimes, square)
tablet bearing a figure or figures represented in relief.
Med"al*ur`gy (?), n.
[Medal + the root of Gr.
The art of making and striking medals and coins.
[Written also medallurgy.]
Med"dle` (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Meddled
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Meddling
(?).] [OE. medlen to mix,
OF. medler, mesler, F. m\'88ler,
LL. misculare, a dim. fr. L. miscere to
mix. Mix, and cf. Medley,
Mellay.]
1. To mix; to mingle. [Obs.]
More to know
Did never meddle with my thoughts.
Shak.
2. To interest or engage one's self; to have to do;
-- [Obs.]
Barrow.
Study to be quiet, and to meddle with your own
business.
Tyndale.
3. To interest or engage one's self unnecessarily
or impertinently, to interfere or busy one's self improperly with
another's affairs; specifically, to handle or distrub another's
property without permission; -- often followed by with
or in.
Why shouldst thou meddle to thy hurt?
2 Kings xiv. 10.
The civil lawyers . . . have meddled in a matter
that belongs not to them.
Locke.
To meddle and make, to intrude one's self into
another person's concerns. [Archaic]
Shak.
Syn. -- To interpose; interfere; intermeddle.
Med"dle, v. t. To mix; to mingle.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
\'bdWine meddled with gall.\'b8
Wyclif (Matt. xxvii. 34).
Med"dler (?), n. One who
meddles; one who interferes or busies himself with things in
which he has no concern; an officious person; a busybody.
Med"dle*some (?), a. Given to
meddling; apt to interpose in the affairs of others; officiously
intrusive. -- Med"dle*some*ness,
n.
Med"dling (?), a.
Meddlesome.
Macaulay.
Med"dling*ly, adv. In a meddling
manner.
Mede (?), n. A native or
inhabitant of Media in Asia.
Mede, n. See lst & 2d Mead, and
Meed. [Obs.]
\'d8Me"di*a (?), n.,
pl. of Medium.
\'d8Me"di*a, n.; pl. Medi\'91
(-. [NL., fr. L. medius
middle.] (Phonetics) One of the sonant
mutes b, d,
g), in Greek, or of their equivalents in other
languages, so named as intermediate between the
tenues, p, t,
k), and the aspirat\'91 (aspirates) ph or f, th,
ch). Also called middle mute, or
medial, and sometimes soft
mute.
Me"di*a*cy (?), n. The state or
quality of being mediate.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Me`di*\'91"val (?), a. [L.
medius middle + aevum age. See
Middle, and Age.] Of or relating to
the Middle Ages; as, medi\'91val
architecture. [Written also
medieval.]
Me`di*\'91"val*ism (?), n. The
method or spirit of the Middle Ages; devotion to the institutions
and practices of the Middle Ages; a survival from the Middle
Ages. [Written also medievalism.]
Me`di*\'91"val*ist, n. One who has a
taste for, or is versed in, the history of the Middle Ages; one
in sympathy with the spirit or forms of the Middle Ages.
[Written also medievalist.]
Me`di*\'91"val*ly, adv. In the manner of
the Middle Ages; in accordance with medi\'91valism.
Me`di*\'91"vals (?), n. pl. The
people who lived in the Middle Ages.
Ruskin.
Me"di*al (?), a. [L.
medialis, fr. medius middle: cf. F.
m\'82dial. See Middle.] Of or
pertaining to a mean or average; mean; as, medial
alligation.
Me"di*al, n. (Phonetics) See
2d Media.
\'d8Me"di*a*lu"na (?), n. [Sp.
media luna half-moon.] (Zo\'94l.)
See Half-moon.
Me"di*an (?), a. [L.
medianus, fr. medius middle. See
Medial.] 1. Being in the middle;
running through the middle; as, a median
groove.
2. (Zo\'94l.) Situated in the middle;
lying in a plane dividing a bilateral animal into right and left
halves; -- said of unpaired organs and parts; as,
median coverts.
Median line. (a) (Anat.)
Any line in the mesial plane; specif., either of the lines in
which the mesial plane meets the surface of the body.
(b) (Geom.) The line drawn from an angle
of a triangle to the middle of the opposite side; any line having
the nature of a diameter. -- Median plane
(Anat.), the mesial plane. -- Median
point (Geom.), the point where the three
median lines of a triangle mutually intersect.
Me"di*an, n. (Geom.) A median
line or point.
Me"di*ant (?), n. [L.
medians, p. p. of mediare to halve: cf. It.
mediante, F. m\'82diante.]
(Mus.) The third above the keynote; -- so called
because it divides the interval between the tonic and dominant
into two thirds.
Me`di*as*ti"nal (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to a mediastinum.
{ Me`di*as"tine (?),
\'d8Me`di*as*ti"num (?), } n.
[NL. mediastinum, fr. L. medius
middle; cf. mediastinus helper, a menial servant, LL.
mediastinus equiv. to medius: cf F.
m\'82diastin.] (Anat.) A
partition; a septum; specifically, the folds of the pleura (and
the space included between them) which divide the thorax into a
right and left cavity. The space included between these folds of
the pleura, called the mediastinal space, contains the
heart and gives passage to the esophagus and great blood
vessels.
Me"di*ate (?), a. [L.
mediatus, p. p. of mediare, v. t., to
halve, v. i., to be in the middle. See Mid, and cf.
Moiety.] 1. Being between the two
extremes; middle; interposed; intervening; intermediate.
Prior.
2. Acting by means, or by an intervening cause or
instrument; not direct or immediate; acting or suffering through
an intervening agent or condition.
3. Gained or effected by a medium or
condition.
Bacon.
An act of mediate knowledge is complex.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Me"di*ate (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Mediated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mediating.] [LL. mediatus,
p. p. of mediare to mediate. See Mediate,
a.]
1. To be in the middle, or between two; to
intervene. [R.]
2. To interpose between parties, as the equal
friend of each, esp. for the purpose of effecting a
reconciliation or agreement; as, to mediate between
nations.
Me"di*ate, v. t. 1. To effect
by mediation or interposition; to bring about as a mediator,
instrument, or means; as, to mediate a
peace.
2. To divide into two equal parts.
[R.]
Holder.
Me"di*ate*ly (?), adv. In a
mediate manner; by a secondary cause or agent; not directly or
primarily; by means; -- opposed to immediately.
God worketh all things amongst us mediately.
Sir W. Raleigh.
The king grants a manor to A, and A grants a portion of it to
B. In this case. B holds his lands immediately of A, but
mediately of the king.
Blakstone.
Me"di*ate*ness, n. The state of being
mediate.
Me`di*a"tion (?), n. [OE.
mediacioun, F. m\'82diation. See
Mediate, a.] 1. The act
of mediating; action or relation of anything interposed; action
as a necessary condition, means, or instrument; interposition;
intervention.
The soul [acts] by the mediation of these
passions.
South.
2. Hence, specifically, agency between parties at
variance, with a view to reconcile them; entreaty for another;
intercession.
Bacon.
Me"di*a*tive (?), a. Pertaining
to mediation; used in mediation; as, mediative
efforts.
Beaconsfield.
Me`di*at`i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf.
F. m\'82diatisation.] The act of
mediatizing.
Me"di*a*tize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mediatized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mediatizing.] [Cf. F.
m\'82diatiser.] To cause to act through an
agent or to hold a subordinate position; to annex; --
specifically applied to the annexation during the former German
empire of a smaller German state to a larger, while allowing it a
nominal sovereignty, and its prince his rank.
The misfortune of being a mediatized prince.
Beaconsfield.
Me"di*a`tor (?), n. [L.
mediator: cf. E. m\'82diateur.]
One who mediates; especially, one who interposes between
parties at variance for the purpose of reconciling them; hence,
an intercessor.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus.
1 Tim. ii. 5.
Me`di*a*to"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a mediator, or to mediation; mediatory; as, a
mediatorial office. --
Me`di*a*to"ri*al*ly,
adv.
My measures were . . . healing and mediatorial.
Burke.
Me"di*a`tor*ship (?), n. The
office or character of a mediator.
Me"di*a*to*ry (?), a.
Mediatorial.
{ Me`di*a"tress (?),
Me`di*a*"trix (?), } n.
[L. mediatrix, f. of mediator: cf. F.
m\'82diatrice.] A female mediator.
Med"ic (?), n. [L.
medica, Gr. Media, from (Bot.)
A leguminous plant of the genus Medicago. The
black medic is the Medicago lupulina; the purple
medic, or lucern, is M. sativa.
Med"ic, a. [L.
medicus.] Medical. [R.]
Med"i*ca*ble (?), a. [L.
medicabilis, from medicare,
medicari, to heal, fr. medicus physician.
See Medical.] Capable of being medicated;
admitting of being cured or healed.
Med"ic*al (?), a. [LL.
medicalis, L. medicus belonging to healing,
fr. mederi to heal; cf. Zend madha medical
science, wisdom, gr. mind: cf. F.
m\'82dical.]
1. Of, pertaining to, or having to do with, the art
of healing disease, or the science of medicine; as, the
medical profession; medical services; a
medical dictionary; medical
jurisprudence.
2. Containing medicine; used in medicine;
medicinal; as, the medical properties of a
plant.
Med"ic*al*ly, adv. In a medical manner;
with reference to healing, or to the principles of the healing
art.
Med"i*ca*ment (?), n. [L.
medicamentum, fr. medicare,
medicari, to heal: cf. F. m\'82dicament.
See Medicable.] Anything used for healing
diseases or wounds; a medicine; a healing application.
Med`ica*men"tal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to medicaments or healing applications; having the
qualities of medicaments. --
Med`ica*men"tal*ly, adv.
<-- pref. = medicinal -->
Med"i*cas`ter (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82dicastre. See Medical.] A
quack. [R.]
Whitlock.
Med"i*cate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Medicated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Medicating
(?).] [L. medicatus, p. p.
of medicare, medicari. See
Medicable.]
1. To tincture or impregnate with anything
medicinal; to drug. \'bdMedicated waters.\'b8
Arbuthnot.
2. To treat with medicine.
Med`i*ca"tion (?), [L.
medicatio: cf. F. m\'82dication.]
The act or process of medicating.
Med"i*ca*tive (?), a.
Medicinal; acting like a medicine.
Med`i*ce"an (?), a. Of or
relating to the Medici, a noted Italian family; as, the
Medicean Venus.
Medicean planets (Astron.), a name
given by Galileo to the satellites of Jupiter.
Me*dic"i*na*ble (?), a.
Medicinal; having the power of healing.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Me*dic"i*nal (?), a. [L.
medicinalis: cf. F. m\'82dicinal. See
Medicine.] 1. Having curative or
palliative properties; used for the cure or alleviation of bodily
disorders; as, medicinal tinctures, plants, or
springs.
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinal gum.
Shak.
2. Of or pertaining to medicine; medical.
Me*dic"i*nal*ly, adv. In a medicinal
manner.
Med"i*cine (?), n. [L.
medicina (sc. ars), fr.
medicinus medical, fr. medicus: cf. F.
m\'82decine. See Medical.] 1.
The science which relates to the prevention, cure, or
alleviation of disease.
2. Any substance administered in the treatment of
disease; a remedial agent; a remedy; physic.
By medicine, life may be prolonged.
Shak.
3. A philter or love potion.
[Obs.]
Shak.
4. [F. m\'82decin.] A
physician. [Obs.]
Shak.
Medicine bag, a charm; -- so called among the
North American Indians, or in works relating to them. --
Medicine man (among the North American Indians), a
person who professes to cure sickness, drive away evil spirits,
and regulate the weather by the arts of magic. --
Medicine seal, a small gem or paste engraved with
reversed characters, to serve as a seal. Such seals were used by
Roman physicians to stamp the names of their medicines.
Med"i*cine, v. t. To give medicine to;
to affect as a medicine does; to remedy; to cure.
\'bdMedicine thee to that sweet sleep.\'b8
Shak.
Med`i*co-le"gal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to law as affected by medical facts.
Med`i*com"mis*sure (?), n. [L.
medius middle + E. commissure.]
(Anat.) A large transverse commissure in the
third ventricle of the brain; the middle or soft
commissure.
B. G. Wildex.
\'d8Med`i*cor"nu (?), n.; pl.
Medicornua (#). [NL., fr. L.
medius middle + cornu horn.]
(Anat.) The middle or inferior horn of each
lateral ventricle of the brain.
B. G. Wilder.
Med"ics (?), n. Science of
medicine. [Obs.]
Me*di"e*ty (?), n. [L.
medietas.] The middle part; half;
moiety. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
{ Me`di*e"val, Me`di*e"val*ism,
Me`di*e"val*ist }. Same as
Medi, Medi, etc.
Me*di"na ep"och (?). [From
Medina in New York.] (Geol.) A
subdivision of the Niagara period in the American upper Silurian,
characterized by the formations known as the Oneida conglomerate,
and the Medina sandstone. See the Chart of
Geology.
<-- p. 908 -->
Me*di"no (?), n. Same as
Para.
Me"di*o`cral (?), a.
Mediocre. [R.]
Me"di*o`cre (?), a. [F.
m\'82diocre, L. mediocris, fr.
medius middle. See Mid.] Of a
middle quality; of but a moderate or low degree of excellence;
indifferent; ordinary. \'bd A very mediocre
poet.\'b8
Pope.
Me"di*o`cre, n. 1. A mediocre
person. [R.]
2. A young monk who was excused from performing a
portion of a monk's duties.
Shipley.
Me"di*o`crist (?), n. A
mediocre person. [R.]
Me`di*oc"ri*ty (?), n. [F.
m\'82diocrit\'82, L. mediocritas.]
1. The quality of being mediocre; a middle state or
degree; a moderate degree or rate. \'bdA
mediocrity of success.\'b8
Bacon.
2. Moderation; temperance.
[Obs.]
Hooker.
Me`di*o*sta*pe"di*al (?), a.
[L. medius middle + E.
stapedial.] (Anat.) Pertaining
to that part of the columella of the ear which, in some animals,
connects the stapes with the other parts of the columella.
-- n. The mediostapedial part of the
columella.
Me`di*ox"u*mous (?), a. [L.
medioxumus middlemost.] Intermediate.
[Obs.]
Dr. H. More.
Med"i*tance (?), n.
Meditation. [Obs.]
Med"i*tate (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Meditated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Meditating.] [L. meditatus,
p. p. of meditari to meditate; cf. Gr. mind.] To keep the mind in a state of
contemplation; to dwell on anything in thought; to think
seriously; to muse; to cogitate; to reflect.
Jer. Taylor.
In his law doth he meditate day and night.
Ps. i. 2.
Med"i*tate, v. t. 1. To
contemplate; to keep the mind fixed upon; to study.
\'bdBlessed is the man that doth meditate good
things.\'b8
Ecclus. xiv. 20.
2. To purpose; to intend; to design; to plan by
revolving in the mind; as, to meditate a
war.
I meditate to pass the remainder of life in a state
of undisturbed repose.
Washington.
Syn. -- To consider; ponder; weigh; revolve; study.
-- To Meditate, Contemplate,
Intend. We meditate a design when we are
looking out or waiting for the means of its accomplishment; we
contemplate it when the means are at hand, and our
decision is nearly or quite made. To intend is
stronger, implying that we have decided to act when an
opportunity may offer. A general meditates an attack
upon the enemy; he contemplates or intends
undertaking it at the earliest convenient season.
Med`i*ta"tion (?), n. [OE.
meditacioun, F. m\'82ditation, fr. L.
meditatio.] 1. The act of
meditating; close or continued thought; the turning or revolving
of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation; reflection;
musing.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in thy sight.
Ps. xix. 14.
2. Thought; -- without regard to kind.
[Obs.]
With wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love.
Shak.
Med"i*ta`tist, n. One who is given to
meditation.
Med"i*ta*tive (?), a. [L.
meditativus: cf. F. m\'82ditatif.]
Disposed to meditate, or to meditation; as, a
meditative man; a meditative mood.
-- Med"i*ta*tive*ly, adv. --
Med"i*ta*tive*ness, n.
Med`i*ter*ra"ne*an (?), a. [L.
mediterraneus; medius middle +
terra land. See Mid, and
Terrace.]
1. Inclosed, or nearly inclosed, with land; as,
the Mediterranean Sea, between Europe and
Africa.
2. Inland; remote from the ocean.
[Obs.]
Cities, as well mediterranean as maritime.
Holland.
3. Of or pertaining to the Mediterranean Sea;
as, Mediterranean trade; a Mediterranean
voyage.
Med`i*ter*ra"ne*ous (?), a.
Inland.
Sir T. Browne.
Me"di*um (?), n.; pl. L.
Media (#), E. Mediums
(#). [L. medium the middle, fr.
medius middle. See Mid, and cf.
Medius.] 1. That which lies in the
middle, or between other things; intervening body or quantity.
Hence, specifically: (a) Middle place or degree;
mean.
The just medium . . . lies between pride and
abjection.
L'Estrange.
(b) (Math.) See Mean.
(c) (Logic) The mean or middle term of a
syllogism; that by which the extremes are brought into
connection.
2. A substance through which an effect is
transmitted from one thing to another; as, air is the common
medium of sound. Hence: The condition upon which
any event or action occurs; necessary means of motion or action;
that through or by which anything is accomplished, conveyed, or
carried on; specifically, in animal magnetism, spiritualism,
etc., a person through whom the action of another being is said
to be manifested and transmitted.
Whether any other liquors, being made mediums,
cause a diversity of sound from water, it may be tried.
Bacon.
I must bring together
All these extremes; and must remove all mediums.
Denham.
3. An average. [R.]
A medium of six years of war, and six years of
peace.
Burke.
4. A trade name for printing and writing paper of
certain sizes. See Paper.
5. (Paint.) The liquid vehicle with
which dry colors are ground and prepared for application.
Circulating medium, a current medium of
exchange, whether coin, bank notes, or government notes. --
Ethereal medium (Physics), the
ether. -- Medium of exchange, that which is
used for effecting an exchange of commodities -- money or current
representatives of money.
Me"di*um, a. Having a middle position or
degree; mean; intermediate; medial; as, a horse of
medium size; a decoction of medium
strength.
Me"di*um-sized` (?), a. Having
a medium size; as, a medium-sized man.
\'d8Me"di*us (?), n.; pl.
Medii (#). [NL., fr. L.
medius middle. See Medium.]
(Anat.) The third or middle finger; the third
digit, or that which corresponds to it.
Med"lar (?), n. [OE.
medler medlar tree, OF. meslier, F.
n\'82flier, L. mespilum,
mespilus, Gr. Naseberry.]
A tree of the genus Mespilus (M.
Germanica); also, the fruit of the tree. The fruit is
something like a small apple, but has a bony endocarp. When first
gathered the flesh is hard and austere, and it is not eaten until
it has begun to decay.
Japan medlar (Bot.), the loquat.
See Loquat. -- Neapolitan medlar
(Bot.), a kind of thorn tree (Crat\'91gus
Azarolus); also, its fruit.
Med"le (?), v. t. [See
Meddle.] To mix; to mingle; to meddle.
[Written also medly.]
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Med"ley (?), n.; pl.
Medleys (#). [OE.
medlee, OF. mesl\'82e,
medl\'82e, mell\'82e, F.
m\'88l\'82e. See Meddle, and cf.
Mel\'90e, Mellay.] 1. A
mixture; a mingled and confused mass of ingredients, usually
inharmonious; a jumble; a hodgepodge; -- often used
contemptuously.
This medley of philosophy and war.
Addison.
Love is a medley of endearments, jars,
Suspicions, reconcilements, wars.
W. Walsh.
2. The confusion of a hand to hand battle; a brisk,
hand to hand engagement; a m\'88l\'82e. [Obs.]
Holland.
3. (Mus.) A composition of passages
detached from several different compositions; a potpourri.
Medley is usually applied to vocal,
potpourri to instrumental, compositions.
4. A cloth of mixed colors.
Fuller.
Med"ley, a. 1. Mixed; of mixed
material or color. [Obs.] \'bdA medl\'8a
coat.\'b8
Chaucer.
2. Mingled; confused.
Dryden.
Med"ly (?), v. t. See
Medle.
Johnson.
\'d8M\'82`doc" (?), n. [Cf.
Mayduke.] A class of claret wines, including
several varieties, from the district of M\'82doc in the
department of Gironde.
Med"re*gal (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) See Bonito, 3.
Med"rick (?), n. [Etymol.
uncertain.] (Zo\'94l.) A species of gull or
tern. [Prov.]
Lowell.
Me*dul"la (?), n. [L.]
1. Marrow; pith; hence, essence.
[Obs.]
Milton.
2. (Anat.) The marrow of bones; the deep
or inner portion of an organ or part; as, the
medulla, or medullary substance, of the kidney;
specifically, the medula oblongata.
3. (Bot.) A soft tissue, occupying the
center of the stem or branch of a plant; pith.
\'d8Medulla oblongata. [L., oblong
medulla] (Anat.), the posterior part of the
brain connected with the spinal cord. It includes all the
hindbrain except the cerebellum and pons, and from it a large
part of the cranial nerves arise. It controls very largely
respiration, circulation, swallowing, and other functions, and is
the most vital part of the brain; -- called also bulb of
the spinal cord. See Brain.
Me*dul"lar (?), a. See
Medullary.
Med"ul*la*ry (?), a. [L.
medullaris, fr. medulla marrow: cf. F.
m\'82dullaire.] 1. (Anat.)
(a) Pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling,
marrow or medulla. (b) Pertaining to the
medula oblongata.
2. (Bot.) Filled with spongy pith;
pithy.
Medullary groove (Anat.), a groove,
in the epiblast of the vertebrate blastoderm, the edges of which
unite, making a tube (the medullary canal) from which the brain
and spinal cord are developed. -- Medullary rays
(Bot.), the rays of cellular tissue seen in a
transverse section of exogenous wood, which pass from the pith to
the bark. -- Medullary sheath (Anat.),
the layer of white semifluid substance (myelin), between the
primitive sheath and axis cylinder of a medullated nerve
fiber.
Me*dul"la*ted (?), a.
(Anat.) Furnished with a medulla or marrow, or
with a medullary sheath; as, a medullated nerve
fiber.
Me*dul"lin (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82dulline.] (Bot. Chem.) A
variety of lignin or cellulose found in the medulla, or pith, of
certain plants. Cf. Lignin, and
Cellulose.
\'d8Me*du"sa (?), n. [L., fr.
Gr. 1. (Class. Myth.) The
Gorgon; or one of the Gorgons whose hair was changed into
serpents, after which all who looked upon her were turned into
stone.
2. [pl. Medusae
(.] (Zo\'94l.) Any free
swimming acaleph; a jellyfish.
medus\'91 belong to the
Discophora, and are sometimes called covered-eyed
medus\'91; others, known as naked-eyed
medus\'91, belong to the Hydroidea, and are usually
developed by budding from hidroids. See Discophora,
Hydroidea, and Hydromedusa.
Medusa bud (Zo\'94l.), one of the
buds of a hydroid, destined to develop into a gonophore or
medusa. See Athecata, and Gonotheca. --
Medusa's head. (a) (Zo\'94l.)
An astrophyton. (b) (Astron.) A
cluster of stars in the constellation Perseus. It contains the
bright star Algol.
Me*du"si*an (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A medusa.
Me*du"si*form (?), a.
[Medusa + -form.]
(Zo\'94l.) Resembling a medusa in shape or
structure.
Me*du"soid (?), a.
[Medusa + -oid.]
(Zo\'94l.) Like a medusa; having the fundamental
structure of a medusa, but without a locomotive disk; -- said of
the sessile gonophores of hydroids. -- n.
A sessile gonophore. See Illust. under
Gonosome.
Meech (?), v. i. See
Mich. [Obs. or Colloq.]
Meed (?), n. [OE.
mede, AS. m, meord; akin
to OS. m, OHG. miata,
mieta, G. miethe hire, Goth.
mizd reward, Bohem. & Russ. mzda, Gr.
mistho`s, Skr. m.
1. That which is bestowed or
rendered in consideration of merit; reward; recompense.
A rosy garland was the victor's meed.
Spenser.
2. Merit or desert; worth.
My meed hath got me fame.
Shak.
3. A gift; also, a bride. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Meed, v. t. 1. To reward; to
repay. [Obs.]
Waytt.
2. To deserve; to merit. [Obs.]
Heywood.
Meed"ful (?), a. Worthy of
meed, reward, or recompense; meritorious.
\'bdMeedful works.\'b8
Wiclif.
Meed"ful*ly, adv. According to merit;
suitably.
Meek (?), a.
[Compar. Meeker (?);
superl. Meekest.] [OE.
mek, meoc; akin to Icel. mj
mild, soft, Sw. mjuk, Dan. myg, D.
muik, Goth. mukam
1. Mild of temper; not easily provoked or
orritated; patient under injuries; not vain, or haughty, or
resentful; forbearing; submissive.
Not the man Moses was very meek.
Num. xii. 3.
2. Evincing mildness of temper, or patience;
characterized by mildness or patience; as, a meek
answer; a meek face. \'bdHer meek
prayer.\'b8
Chaucer.
Syn. -- Gentle; mild; soft; yielding; pacific; unassuming;
humble. See Gentle.
{ Meek, Meek"en (-'n) },
v. t. To make meek; to nurture in gentleness and
humility. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Meek"ly, adv. In a meek manner.
Spenser.
Meek"ness, n. The quality or state of
being meek.
Meer (?), a. Simple; unmixed.
See Mere, a. [Obs.]
Meer, n. See Mere, a
lake.
Meer, n. A boundary. See
Mere.
\'d8Meer"kat (?), n. [D.]
(Zo\'94l.) A South African carnivore
(Cynictis penicillata), allied to the
ichneumons.
Meer"schaum (?), n. [G., lit.,
sea foam; meer sea + schaum foam; but it
perh. is a corruption of the Tartaric name myrsen. Cf.
Mere a lake, and Scum.] 1.
(Min.) A fine white claylike mineral, soft, and
light enough when in dry masses to float in water. It is a
hydrous silicate of magnesia, and is obtained chiefly in Asia
Minor. It is manufacturd into tobacco pipes, cigar holders, etc.
Also called sepiolite.
2. A tobacco pipe made of this mineral.
Meet (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Met (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Meeting.]
[OE. meten, AS. m, fr.
m, gem, a meeting; akin to OS.
m to meet, Icel. m\'91ta, Goth.
gam. See Moot, v. t.]
1. To join, or come in contact with; esp., to come
in contact with by approach from an opposite direction; to come
upon or against, front to front, as distinguished from contact by
following and overtaking.
2. To come in collision with; to confront in
conflict; to encounter hostilely; as, they met the
enemy and defeated them; the ship met opposing winds and
currents.
3. To come into the presence of without contact; to
come close to; to intercept; to come within the perception,
influence, or recognition of; as, to meet a train at
a junction; to meet carriages or persons in the street;
to meet friends at a party; sweet sounds met
the ear.
His daughter came out to meet him.
Judg. xi. 34.
4. To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have
personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer; as, the
eye met a horrid sight; he met his
fate.
Of vice or virtue, whether blest or curst,
Which meets contempt, or which compassion first.
Pope.
5. To come up to; to be even with; to equal; to
match; to satisfy; to ansver; as, to meet one's
expectations; the supply meets the demand.
To meet half way, literally, to go half the
distance between in order to meet (one); hence, figuratively, to
yield or concede half of the difference in order to effect a
compromise or reconciliation with.
Meet, v. t. 1. To come together
by mutual approach; esp., to come in contact, or into proximity,
by approach from opposite directions; to join; to come face to
face; to come in close relationship; as, we met in
the street; two lines meet so as to form an
angle.
O, when meet now
Such pairs in love and mutual honor joined !
Milton.
2. To come together with hostile purpose; to have
an encounter or conflict.
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May serve to better us and worse our foes.
Milton.
3. To assemble together; to congregate; as,
Congress meets on the first Monday of
December.
They . . . appointed a day to meet together.
2. Macc. xiv. 21.
4. To come together by mutual concessions; hence,
to agree; to harmonize; to unite.
To meet with. (a) To light upon; to
find; to come to; -- often with the sense of unexpectedness.
We met with many things worthy of observation.
Bacon.
(b) To join; to unite in company.
Shak. (c) To suffer unexpectedly; as,
to meet with a fall; to meet with a
loss. (d) To encounter; to be subjected
to.
Prepare to meet with more than brutal fury
From the fierce prince.
Rowe.
(e) To obviate. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Meet, n. An assembling together; esp.,
the assembling of huntsmen for the hunt; also, the persons who so
assemble, and the place of meeting.
Meet, a. [OE. mete fitting,
moderate, scanty, AS. m moderate; akin to
gemet fit, meet, metan to mete, and G.
m\'84ssig moderate, gem\'84ss fitting. See
Mete.] Suitable; fit; proper; appropriate;
qualified; convenient.
It was meet that we should make merry.
Luke xv. 32.
To be meet with, to be even with; to be equal
to. [Obs.]
<-- p. 909 -->
Meet (?), adv. Meetly.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Meet"en (?), v. t. To render
fit. [R.]
Meet"er (?), n. One who
meets.
Meeth (?), Mead. See
Meathe. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Meet"ing, n. 1. A coming
together; an assembling; as, the meeting of
Congress.
2. A junction, crossing, or union; as, the
meeting of the roads or of two rivers.
3. A congregation; a collection of people; a
convention; as, a large meeting; an harmonius
meeting.
4. An assembly for worship; as, to attend
meeting on Sunday; -- in England, applied
distinctively and disparagingly to the worshiping assemblies of
Dissenters.
Syn. -- Conference; assembly; company; convention;
congregation; junction; confluence; union.
Meet"ing*house` (?), n. A house
used as a place of worship; a church; -- in England, applied only
to a house so used by Dissenters.
Meet"ly, adv. Fitly; suitably;
properly.
Meet"ness, n. Fitness; suitableness;
propriety.
{ Meg- (?), Meg"a (?),
Meg"a*lo- (?) }. [Gr.
me`gas, gen. mega`loy, great.]
Combining forms signifying: (a) Great,
extended, powerful; as,
megascope, megacosm. (b)
(Metric System, Elec., Mech., etc.) A
million times, a million of; as,
megameter, a million meters; megafarad, a
million farads; megohm, a million ohms.
{ Meg`a*ce*phal"ic (?),
Meg`a*ceph"a*lous (?) }, a.
[Mega- Gr. (Biol.)
Large headed; -- applied to animals, and to plants when they
have large flower heads.
\'d8Me*gac"e*ros (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. me`gas great + horn.]
(Paleon.) The Irish elk.
Meg"a*chile (?), n.
[Mega- + Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A leaf-cutting bee of the genus
Megachilus. See Leaf cutter, under
Leaf.
Meg"a*cosm (?), n.
[Mega- + Gr. See
Macrocosm.
Croft.
Meg`a*cou`lomb" (?), n.
[Mega- + coulomb.]
(Elec.) A million coulombs.
Meg"a*derm (?), n.
[Mega- + Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) Any one of several species of Old
World blood-sucking bats of the genus Megaderma.
Meg"a*dyne (?), n.
[Mega- + dyne.]
(Physics) One of the larger measures of force,
amounting to one million dynes.
Meg"a*far`ad (?), n.
[Mega- + farad.]
(Elec.) One of the larger measures of electrical
capacity, amounting to one million farads; a macrofarad.
Meg"a*lerg (?), n.
[Megalo- + erg.]
(Physics) A million ergs; a megerg.
Meg`a*le"sian (?), a. [L.
Megalesius, fr. Gr. Mega`lh the Great, a
surname of Cybele, the Magna Mater.] Pertaining to, or
in honor of, Cybele; as, the Megalesian games at
Rome.
Meg`a*leth"o*scope (?), n.
[Mega- + alethoscope.] An
optical apparatus in which pictures are viewed through a large
lens with stereoptical effects. It is often combined with the
stereoscope.
Meg"a*lith (?), n.
[Mega- + -lith; cf. F.
m\'82galithe.] A large stone; especially, a
large stone used in ancient building. --
Meg`a*lith"ic (#),
a.
Meg"a*lo- (?). See Meg-.
Meg"a*lo*cyte (?), n.
[Megalo- + Gr.
(Physiol.) A large, flattened corpuscle, twice
the diameter of the ordinary red corpuscle, found in considerable
numbers in the blood in profound an\'91mia.
Meg`a*lo*ma"ni*a (?), n. [NL.,
fr. megalo- + mania.]
(Pathol.) A form of mental alienation in which
the patient has grandiose delusions.
\'d8Meg`a*lon"yx (?), n. [NL.,
from Gr. me`gas, mega`lh, great +
'o`nyx claw.] (Paleon.) An
extinct quaternary mammal, of great size, allied to the
sloth.
Meg`a*loph"o*nous (?), a.
[Megalo- + Gr. fwnh` voice.]
Having a loud voice.
Meg`a*lop"o*lis (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. megalo`polis; me`gas,
mega`lh, great + po`lis city.] A
chief city; a metropolis. [R.]
Meg"a*lops (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. me`gas, -a`loy, large +
'w`ps eye.] (Zo\'94l.) 1.
A larva, in a stage following the zo\'89a, in the
development of most crabs. In this stage the legs and abdominal
appendages have appeared, the abdomen is relatively long, and the
eyes are large. Also used adjectively.
2. A large fish; the tarpum.
Meg`a*lop"sy*chy (?), n.
[Megalo- + Gr.
Greatness of soul. [Obs. & R.]
{ Meg"a*lo*saur` (?),
\'d8Meg`a*lo*sau"rus (?), } n.
[NL. megalosaurus, fr. Gr. m\'82galosaure.]
(Paleon.) A gigantic carnivorous dinosaur, whose
fossil remains have been found in England and elsewhere.
Me*gam"e*ter (?), n.
[Mega- + -meter: cf. F.
m\'82gam\'8atre.] (Physics)
1. An instrument for determining longitude by
observation of the stars.
2. A micrometer. [R.]
Knight.
{ Meg"a*me`ter, Meg"a*me`tre }
(?), n. [Mega- +
meter, metre, n., 2.] In the
metric system, one million meters, or one thousand
kilometers.
Meg`am`p\'8are" (?), n.
[Mega- + amp\'8are.]
(Elec.) A million amp\'8ares.
Meg"a*phone (?), n.
[Mega- + Gr. A device to
magnify sound, or direct it in a given direction in a greater
volume, as a very large funnel used as an ear trumpet or as a
speaking trumpet.
\'d8Me*gaph"y*ton (?), n. [NL.,
from Gr. me`gas great + fyto`n
plant.] (Paleon.) An extinct genus of tree
ferns with large, two-ranked leaves, or fronds.
Meg"a*pode (?), n.
[Mega- + Gr. poy`s, podo`s,
foot.] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of several
species of large-footed, gallinaceous birds of the genera
Megapodius and Leipoa, inhabiting Australia
and other Pacific islands. See Jungle fowl
(b) under Jungle, and Leipoa.
Me*gap"o*lis (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. me`gas great + po`lis city.]
A metropolis. [Obs.]
Sir T. Herbert.
{ Me*ga"ri*an (?), Me*gar"ic
(?), } a. Belonging, or
pertaining, to Megara, a city of ancient Greece.
Megarian, Megaric,
school, a school of philosophy established
at Megara, after the death of Socrates, by his disciples, and
remarkable for its logical subtlety.
Meg"a*scope (?), n.
[Mega- + -scope: cf. F.
m\'82gascope.] A modification of the magic
lantern, used esp. for throwing a magnified image of an opaque
object on a screen, solar or artificial light being used.
Meg"a*seme (?), a.
[Mega- + Gr. m\'82gas\'8ame.] (Anat.) Having
the orbital index relatively large; having the orbits narrow
transversely; -- opposed to microseme.
{ Me"gass" (?), Me*gasse"
}, n. See Bagasse.
Meg"as*thene (?), n. [Gr.
me`gas great + sthe`nos strength.]
(Zo\'94l.) One of a group which includes the
higher orders of mammals, having a large size as a typical
characteristic.
Meg`as*then"ic (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Having a typically large size;
belonging to the megasthenes.
Meg"a*stome (?), n. [Gr.
me`gas great + sto`ma mouth.]
(Zo\'94l.) One of a group of univalve shells,
having a large aperture or mouth.
{ Meg"a*there (?),
\'d8Meg`a*the"ri*um (?), } n.
[NL. megatherium, fr. Gr. me`gas great
+ thyri`on beast.] (Paleon.) An
extinct gigantic quaternary mammal, allied to the ant-eaters and
sloths. Its remains are found in South America.
Meg`a*the"roid (?), n.
[Megatherium + -oid.]
(Paleon.) One of a family of extinct edentates
found in America. The family includes the megatherium, the
megalonyx, etc.
Meg`a*volt" (?), n.
[Mega- + volt.]
(Elec.) One of the larger measures of
electro-motive force, amounting to one million volts.
Meg`a*we"ber (?), n.
[Mega- + weber.]
(Elec.) A million webers.
Meg"erg` (?), n.
[Mega- + erg.]
(Physics) One of the larger measures of work,
amounting to one million ergs; -- called also
megalerg.
{ Me*gilp" (?), Me*gilph"
(?) }, n. (Paint.) A
gelatinous compound of linseed oil and mastic varnish, used by
artists as a vehicle for colors. [Written also
magilp, and magilph.]
Meg"ohm" (?), n.
[Mega- + ohm.]
(Elec.) One of the larger measures of electrical
resistance, amounting to one million ohms.
Me"grim (?), n. [OE.
migrim, migrene, F. migraine,
LL. hemigrania, L. hemicrania,
hemicranium, Gr. Hemi- and Cranium, and cf. Hemicrania,
Migraine.] 1. A kind of sick or
nevrous headache, usually periodical and confined to one side of
the head.
2. A fancy; a whim; a freak; a humor; esp., in the
plural, lowness of spirits.
These are his megrims, firks, and melancholies.
Ford.
3. pl. (Far.) A sudden
vertigo in a horse, succeeded sometimes by unconsciousness,
produced by an excess of blood in the brain; a mild form of
apoplexy.
Youatt.
Me"grim, n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Zo\'94l.) The British smooth sole, or scaldfish
(Psetta arnoglossa).
Mei*bo"mi*an (?), a.
(Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or discovered by,
Meibomius.
Meibomian glands, the slender sebaceous glands
of the eyelids, which discharge, through minute orifices in the
edges of the lids, a fatty secretion serving to lubricate the
adjacent parts.
Meine (?), v. t. See
Menge.
{ Mein"e, Mein"y, (, }
n. [OF. maisni\'82e,
maisnie. See Menial.] 1.
A family, including servants, etc.; household; retinue;
train. [Obs.]
Chaucer. Shak.
2. Company; band; army. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mei"o*cene (?), a.
(Geol.) See Miocene.
Mei"o*nite (?), n. [Gr. (Min.) A member of the
scapolite, group, occuring in glassy crystals on Monte Somma,
near Naples.
\'d8Mei*o"sis (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. Meionite.] (Rhet.) Diminution; a
species of hyperbole, representing a thing as being less than it
really is.
Mel`o*stem"o*nous (?), a. [Gr.
(Bot.)
Having fever stamens than the parts of the corolla.
\'d8Meis"ter*sing`er (?), n.
[G.] See Mastersinger.
Mekh"i*tar*ist (?), n. (Ecc.
Hist.) See Mechitarist.
Me*lac"o*nite (?), n. [Gr. (Min.) An earthy black
oxide of copper, arising from the decomposition of other
ores.
{ \'d8Me*la"da (?), \'d8Me*la"do
(?), } n. [Sp., prop. p. p. of
melar to sugar, candy, fr. L. mel honey.
See Molasses.] A mixture of sugar and
molasses; crude sugar as it comes from the pans without being
drained.
\'d8Me*l\'91"na (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Med.) A
discharge from the bowels of black matter, consisting of altered
blood.
Mel"ain (?), n. [See
Melna.] The dark coloring matter
of the liquid of the cuttlefish.
Me*lai"no*type (?), n. See
Melanotype.
Me"lam (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82lam.] (Chem.) A white or
buff-colored granular powder,
Me*lam"ine (?), n.
(Chem.) A strong nitrogenous base,
C3H6N6, produced from several cyanogen
compounds, and obtained as a white crystalline substance, --
formerly supposed to be produced by the decomposition of
melam. Called also
cyanuramide.
Mel"am*pode (?), n. [Gr. The black hellebore.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
{ Mel`am*py"rin (?),
Mel`am*py"rite (?), } n.
[NL. Melampyrum cowwheat; Gr. (Chem.) The saccharine substance
dulcite; -- so called because found in the leaves of cowwheat
(Melampyrum). See Dulcite.
\'d8Mel`a*n\'91"mi*a (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Med.) A morbid condition in which the blood
contains black pigment either floating freely or imbedded in the
white blood corpuscles.
Me*lan"a*gogue (?), n. [Gr.
(Med.) A medicine supposed to expel black bile or
choler. [Obs.]
\'d8Mel`an*cho"li*a (?), n. [L.
See Melancholy.] (Med.) A kind of
mental unsoundness characterized by extreme depression of
spirits, ill-grounded fears, delusions, and brooding over one
particular subject or train of ideas.
Mel`an*cho"li*an (?), n. A
person affected with melancholy; a melancholic.
[Obs.]
Dr. J. Scott.
Mel"an*chol`ic (?), a. [L.
melancholicus, Gr. m\'82lancholique.] Given to melancholy;
depressed; melancholy; dejected; unhappy.
Just as the melancholic eye
Sees fleets and armies in the sky.
Prior.
Mel"an*chol`ic, n. [Obs.]
1. One affected with a gloomy state of mind.
J. Spenser.
2. A gloomy state of mind; melancholy.
Clarendon.
Mel"an*chol`i*ly (?), adv. In a
melancholy manner.
Mel"an*chol`i*ness, n. The state or
quality of being melancholy.
Hallywell.
Mel`an*cho"li*ous (?), a. [Cf.
OF. melancholieux.] Melancholy.
[R.]
Milton.
Mel"an*chol*ist (?), n. One
affected with melancholy or dejection. [Obs.]
Glanvill.
Mel"an*cho*lize (?), v. i. To
become gloomy or dejected in mind.
Barrow.
Mel"an*cho*lize, v. t. To make
melancholy.
Mel"an*chol*y (?), n. [OE.
melancolie, F. m\'82lancolie, L.
melancholia, fr. Gr. Malice, and 1st Gall.]
1. Depression of spirits; a gloomy state continuing
a considerable time; deep dejection; gloominess.
Shak.
2. Great and continued depression of spirits,
amounting to mental unsoundness; melancholia.
3. Pensive maditation; serious
thoughtfulness. [Obs.] \'bdHail, divinest
Melancholy !\'b8
Milton.
4. Ill nature. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mel"an*chol*y, a. 1. Depressed
in spirits; dejected; gloomy dismal.
Shak.
2. Producing great evil and grief; causing
dejection; calamitous; afflictive; as, a melancholy
event.
3. Somewhat deranged in mind; having the jugment
impaired. [Obs.]
Bp. Reynolds.
4. Favorable to meditation; somber.
A pretty, melancholy seat, well wooded and
watered.
Evelin.
Syn. -- Gloomy; sad; dispirited; low-spirited; downhearted;
unhappy; hypochondriac; disconsolate; heavy, doleful; dismal;
calamitous; afflictive.
Mel`a*ne"sian (?), a. [Gr. Melanesia was so called from
the dark complexion of the natives.] Of or pertaining
to Melanesia.
\'d8M\'82`lange" (?), n. [F.
See Mell, Meddle.] A mixture; a
medley.
Me*la"ni*an (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) One of a family of fresh-water
pectinibranchiate mollusks, having a turret-shaped shell.
Me*lan"ic (?), a. [Gr. 1. Melanotic.
2. (Ethnol.) Of or pertaining to the
black-haired races.
Prichard.
Me*lan"i*line (?), n.
(Chem.) A complex nitrogenous hydrocarbon
obtained artificially (as by the action of cyanogen chloride on
aniline) as a white, crystalline substance; -- called also
diphenyl guanidin.
Mel"a*nin (?), n. [Gr. (Physiol.) A black pigment
found in the pigment-bearing cells of the skin (particularly in
the skin of the negro), in the epithelial cells of the external
layer of the retina (then called fuscin), in
the outer layer of the choroid, and elsewhere. It is supposed to
be derived from the decomposition of hemoglobin.
<-- p. 910 -->
Mel"a*nism (?), n. [Gr.
, , black.]
1. An indue development of dark-colored pigment in
the skin or its appendages; -- the opposite of
albinism.
2. (Med.) A disease; black jaundice. See
Mel.
Mel`a*nis"tic (?), a. Affected
with melanism; of the nature of melanism.
Mel"a*nite (?), n. [Gr. m\'82lanite.]
(Min.) A black variety of garnet.
\'d8Mel`a*noch"ro*i (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Melanochroic.] (Ethnol.)
A group of the human race, including the dark whites.
Mel`a*no*chro"ic (?), a. [Gr.
Having a dark
complexion; of or pertaining to the Melanochroi.
Mel`a*no*chro"ite (?), n. [See
Melanochroic.] (Min.) A mineral of
a red, or brownish or yellowish red color. It is a chromate of
lead; -- called also ph\'d2nicocroite.
Mel`a*noc"o*mous (?), a. [Gr.
Having very dark or black
hair; black-haired.
Prichard.
\'d8Mel`a*nor*rh\'d2"a (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Bot.) An East Indian genus of large trees.
Melanorrh is the lignum-vit\'91 of
Peru, and yelds a valuable black varnish.
<-- #"Peru" in original was "Pegu" -- must be an error, so
changed here. -->
Me*lan"o*scope (?), n. [Gr.
-scope.] (Opt.)
An instrument containing a combination of colored glasses
such that they transmit only red light, so that objects of other
colors, as green leaves, appear black when seen through it. It is
used for viewing colored flames, to detect the presence of
potassium, lithium, etc., by the red light which they emit.
\'d8Mel`a*no"sis (?), [NL., fr. Gr. (Med.)
The morbid deposition of black matter, often of a malignant
character, causing pigmented tumors.
Me*lan"o*sperm (?), n. [Gr.
(Bot.) An alga
of any kind that produces blackish spores, or seed dust. The
melanosperms include the rockweeds and all kinds of kelp.
-- Mel`a*no*sper"mous (#),
a.
Mel`a*not"ic (?), Melanistic.
Me*lan"o*type (?), n. [Gr. -type.] (Photog.) A
positive picture produced with sensitized collodion on a smooth
surface of black varnish, coating a thin plate of iron; also, the
process of making such a picture. [Written also
melainotype.]
Me*lan"ter*ite (?), n.
(Min.) A hydrous sulphate of iron of a green
color and vitreous luster; iron vitriol.
Mel"a*nure (?), n. [NL.
melanurus, fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A small fish of the Mediterranean; a
gilthead. See Gilthead (a).
Mel`a*nu"ric (?), a.
[Melam + urea.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a complex
nitrogenous acid obtained by decomposition of melam, or of urea,
as a white crystalline powder; -- called also
melanurenic acid.
Mel"a*phyre (?), n. [F., fr.
Gr. phyre porphyry.]
(Min.) Any one of several dark-colored augitic,
eruptive rocks allied to basalt.
\'d8Me*las"ma (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. (Med.) A dark
discoloration of the skin, usually local; as, Addison's
melasma, or Addison's disease. --
Me*las"mic (#),
a.
Me*las"ses (?), n. See
Molasses.
Me*las"sic (?), a. [See
Molasses.] (Chem.) Pertaining to,
or designating, an acid obtained from molasses or glucose, and
probably identical with saccharic acid. See
Saccharic.
\'d8Me*las"to*ma (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Bot.) A
genus of evergreen tropical shrubs; -- so called from the black
berries of some species, which stain the mouth.
Mel`a*sto*ma"ceous (?), a.
(Bot.) Belonging to the order of which Melastoma
is the type.
Mel"chite (?), n. [Heb.
melek king.] (Eccl. Hist.) One
of a sect, chiefly in Syria and Egypt, which acknowledges the
authority of the pope, but adheres to the liturgy and ceremonies
of the Eastern Church.
Mel`e*a"grine (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the genus
Meleagris.
\'d8Mel`e*a"gris (?), n. [L.,
the Guinea fowl.] (Zo\'94l.) A genus of
American gallinaceous birds, including the common and the wild
turkeys.
\'d8M\'88`l\'82e" (?), n. [F.,
fr. m\'88ler to mix. See Meddle,
Mell, and cf. Mellay.] A fight in
which the combatants are mingled
\'d8Me*le"na (?), n.
(Med.) See Mel.
Mel"ene (?), n.
[Melissic + ethylene.]
(Chem.) An unsaturated hydrocarbon,
C30H60, of the ethylene series, obtained from
beeswax as a white, scaly, crystalline wax; -- called also
melissene, and
melissylene.
Mel"e*nite (?), n. [Gr.
me`li honey.] An explosive of great
destructive power; -- so called from its color, which resembles
honey.
Mel"e*tin (?), n. (Chem.)
See Quercitin.
Me*lez"i*tose` (?), n. [F.
m\'82l\'8aze the larch + melitose.]
(Chem.) A variety of sugar, isomeric with
sucrose, extracted from the manna of the larch
(Larix). [Written also
melicitose.]
Me`li*a"ceous (?), a.
(Bot.) Pertaining to a natural order
(Meliac\'91) of plants of which the genus
Melia is the type. It includes the mahogany and the
Spanish cedar.
{ Mel`i*be"an (?), Mel`i*b
}, a. [From L. Meliboeus, one of
the interlocutors in Virgil's first Eclogue.]
(Rhet.) Alternately responsive, as verses.
Mel"ic (?), [Gr.
Of or pertaining to song; lyric; tuneful.
Me*lic"er*ous (?), a. [L.
meliceris a kind of tumor, fr. Gr. me`li honey + (Med.)
Consisting of or containing matter like honey; -- said of
certain encysted tumors.
Mel"ic grass` (?). (Bot.) A
genus of grasses (Melica) of little agricultural
importance.
Mel`i*co*toon" (?), n.
(Bot.) See Melocoton.
Me*lic"ra*to*ry (?), n. [Gr.
meli`kraton.] A meadlike drink.
[Obs.]
Mel"i*lite (?), n. [Gr.
me`li honey + -lite; cf. F.
m\'82lilithe.] (Min.) A mineral
occurring in small yellow crystals, found in the lavas
(melilite basalt) of Vesuvius, and elsewhere.
[Written also mellilite.]
Mel"i*lot (?), n. [F.
m\'82lilot, L. melilotus, fr. Gr. me`li honey + (Bot.) Any species of
Melilotus, a genus of leguminous herbs having a
vanillalike odor; sweet clover; hart's clover. The blue melilot
(Melilotus c\'91rulea) is used in Switzerland to give
color and flavor to sapsago cheese.
Mel`i*lot"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or obtained from,
sweet clover or meliot; specifically, designating an acid of the
aromatic series, obtained from melilot as a white crystalline
substance.
Mel"io*rate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Meliorated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Meliorating.] [L.
melioratus, p. p. of meliorare to
meliorate, fr. melior better; akin to Gr. Ameliorate.] To make better; to
improve; to ameliorate; to soften; to make more tolerable.
Nature by art we nobly meliorate.
Denham.
The pure and bening light of revelation has had a
meliorating influence on mankind.
Washington.
Mel"io*rate, v. i. To grow better.
Mel"io*ra`ter (?), n. Same as
Meliorator.
Mel`io*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
melioratio.] The act or operation of
meliorating, or the state of being meliorated; improvement.
Bacon.
Mel"io*ra`tor (?), n. One who
meliorates.
Mel"io*rism (?), n. [From L.
melior better.] The doctrine that there is
a tendency throughout nature toward improvement.
J. Sully.
Mel*ior"i*ty (?), n. [LL.
melioritas, fr. L. melior. See
Meliorate.] The state or quality of being
better; melioration. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Me*liph"a*gan (?), a. [Gr.
me`li honey + (Zo\'94l.)
Belonging to the genus Meliphaga.
Me*liph"a*gan, n. (Zo\'94l.)
Any bird of the genus Meliphaga and allied
genera; a honey eater; -- called also
meliphagidan.
Me*liph"a*gous (?), a. [See
Meliphagan.] (Zool.) Eating, or
feeding upon, honey.
\'d8Me*lis"ma (?), n.; pl.
Melismata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. (Mus.) (a) A piece of
melody; a song or tune, -- as opposed to recitative or
musical declamation. (b) A grace or
embellishment.
\'d8Me*lis"sa (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. me`lissa a bee, honey.] (Bot.)
A genus of labiate herbs, including the balm, or bee balm
(Melissa officinalis).
Me*lis"sic (?), a. [Gr.
me`lissa a bee, honey.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or derived from, beeswax; specif., denoting
an acid obtained by oxidation of myricin.
Me*lis"syl (?), n.
[Melissic +yl.]
(Chem.) See Myricyl.
Me*lis"sy*lene (?), n.
[Melissic + -yl +
-ene.] (Chem.) See
Melene.
Mel"i*tose` (?), n. [Gr.
me`li honey.] (Chem.) A variety
of sugar isomeric with sucrose, extracted from cotton seeds and
from the so-called Australian manna (a secretion of certain
species of Eucalyptus).
Mell (?), v. i. & t. [F.
m\'88ler, OF. meller, mester.
See Meddle.] To mix; to meddle.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mell, n. [See
Mellifluous.] Honey.
[Obs.]
Warner.
Mell, n. A mill.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mel"late (?), n. [L.
mel, mellis, honey. Cf.
Mellitate.] (Chem.) A
mellitate. [R.]
Mel"lay (?), n. A m\'88l\'82e;
a conflict.
Tennyson.
Mel"lic (?), a. (Chem.)
See Mellitic. [R.]
Mel*lif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
mellifer; mel, mellis, honey +
ferre to bear.] Producing honey.
Mel*lif"ic (?), a. [L.
mel, mellis, honey + -ficare (in
comp.) to make. See -fy.] Producing
honey.
Mel`li*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
mellificare to make honey: cf. F.
mellification. See Mellific.] The
making or production of honey.
Mel*lif"lu*ence (?), n. A flow
of sweetness, or a sweet, smooth flow.
Mel*lif"lu*ent (?), a. [L.
mellifluens. See Mellifluous.]
Flowing as with honey; smooth; mellifluous.
Mel*lif"lu*ent*ly, adv. In a mellifluent
manner.
Mel*lif"lu*ous (?), a. [L.
mellifluus; mel, mellis, honey
(akin to Gr. milip) + fluere to
flow. See Mildew, Fluent, and cf.
Marmalade.] Flowing as with honey; smooth;
flowing sweetly or smoothly; as, a mellifluous
voice. -- Mel*lif"lu*ous*ly,
adv.
Mel*lig"e*nous (?), a. [L.
mel, mellis + -genous.] Having
the qualities of honey. [R.]
\'d8Mel*li"go (?), n.
[L.] Honeydew.
Mel*lil"o*quent (?), a. [L.
mel, mellis honey + loquens
speaking, p. pr. of loqui to speak.]
Speaking sweetly or harmoniously.
Mel*liph"a*gan (?), n. See
Meliphagan.
Mel*liph"a*gous (?), a. See
Meliphagous.
Mel"li*tate (?), n. [Cf. F.
mellitate. See Mellitic.]
(Chem.) A salt of mellitic acid.
Mel"lite (?), n. [L.
mel, mellis, honey: cf. F.
mellite.] (Min.) A mineral of a
honey color, found in brown coal, and partly the result of
vegetable decomposition; honeystone. It is a mellitate of
alumina.
Mel*lit"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
mellitique. See Mellite.]
(Chem.) (a) Containing saccharine
matter; marked by saccharine secretions; as,
mellitic diabetes. (b)
Pertaining to, or derived from, the mineral mellite.
Mellitic acid (Chem.), a white,
crystalline, organic substance, C6(CO2H)6,
occurring naturally in combination with aluminium in the mineral
mellite, and produced artificially by the oxidation of coal,
graphite, etc., and hence called also graphitic
acid.
Mel"lone (?), n. (Chem.)
A yellow powder, C6H3N9, obtained from
certain sulphocyanates. It has acid properties and forms
compounds called mellonides.
Mel"lon*ide (?), n. See
Mellone.
Mel"low (?), a.
[Compar. Mellower (?);
superl. Mellowest.] [OE.
melwe; cf. AS. mearu soft, D.
murw, Prov. G. mollig soft, D.
malsch, and E. meal flour.]
1. Soft or tender by reason of ripeness; having a
tender pulp; as, a mellow apple.
2. Hence: (a) Easily worked or penetrated;
not hard or rigid; as, a mellow soil.
\'bdMellow glebe.\'b8 Drayton (b)
Not coarse, rough, or harsh; subdued; soft; rich; delicate;
-- said of sound, color, flavor, style, etc. \'bdThe
mellow horn.\'b8 Wordsworth. \'bdThe
mellow-tasted Burgundy.\'b8 Thomson.
The tender flush whose mellow stain imbues
Heaven with all freaks of light.
Percival.
3. Well matured; softened by years; genial;
jovial.
May health return to mellow age.
Wordsworth.
As merry and mellow an old bachelor as ever
followed a hound.
W. Irving.
4. Warmed by liquor; slightly intoxicated.
Addison.
Mel"low, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mellowed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Mellowing.] To make
mellow.
Shak.
If the Weather prove frosty to mellow it [the
ground], they do not plow it again till April.
Mortimer.
The fervor of early feeling is tempered and
mellowed by the ripeness of age.
J. C. Shairp.
Mel"low, v. i. To become mellow; as,
ripe fruit soon mellows. \'bdProsperity
begins to mellow.\'b8
Shak.
Mel"low*ly, adv. In a mellow
manner.
Mel"low*ness, n. Quality or state of
being mellow.
Mel"low*y (?), a. Soft;
unctuous.
Drayton.
\'d8Mel*lu"co (?), n.
(Bot.) A climbing plant (Ullucus
officinalis) of the Andes, having tuberous roots which are
used as a substitute for potatoes.
Mel"ne (?), n. A mill.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
{ Mel`o*co*ton", Mel`o*co*toon" }
(?), n. [Sp. melocoton a kind
of peach tree and its fruit, L. malum cotonium, or
cotonea, or Cydonia, a quince, or quince
tree, lit., apple of Cydonia, Gr. Quince.] (Bot.) (a) A
quince. (b) A kind of peach having one side
deep red, and the flesh yellow. [Written also
malacatoon, malacotune.]
Me*lo"de*on (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. Melody, and cf.
Odeon.]
1. (Mus.) A kind of small reed organ; --
a portable form of the seraphine.
2. A music hall.
Me*lod"ic (?), a. [L.
melodicus, Gr. m\'82lodique.] Of the nature of melody;
relating to, containing, or made up of, melody; melodious.
Me*lod"ics (?), n. The
department of musical science which treats of the pitch of tones,
and of the laws of melody.
Me*lo"di*o*graph (?), n.
[Melody + -graph.] A
contrivance for preserving a record of music, by recording the
action of the keys of a musical instrument when played
upon.
Me*lo"di*ous (?), a. [Cf. F.
m\'82lodieux. See Melody.]
Containing, or producing, melody; musical; agreeable to the
ear by a sweet succession of sounds; as, a melodious
voice. \'bdA melodious voice.\'b8 \'bdA
melodious undertone.\'b8 Longfellow. --
Me*lo"di*ous*ly, adv. --
Me*lo"di*ous*ness, n.
Mel"o*dist (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82lodiste.] A composer or singer of
melodies.
Mel"o*dize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Melodized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Melodizing
(?).] To make melodious; to form into,
or set to, melody.
Mel"o*dize, v. i. To make melody; to
compose melodies; to harmonize.
Mel`o*dra"ma (?), n. [F.
m\'82lodrame, fr. Gr.
Formerly, a kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to
intensify the effect of certain scenes. Now, a drama abounding in
romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical
accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or
pathetic. In opera, a passage in which the orchestra plays a
somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks;
as, the melodrama in the gravedigging scene of
Beethoven's \'bdFidelio\'b8.
Mel`o*dra*mat"ic (?), a. [Cf.
F. m\'82lodramatique.] Of or pertaining to
melodrama; like or suitable to a melodrama; unnatural in
situation or action. --
Mel`o*dra*mat"ic*al*ly (#),
adv.
Mel`o*dram"a*tist (?), n. One
who acts in, or writes, melodramas.
Mel"o*drame (?), n. [F.]
Melodrama.
Mel"o*dy (?), n.; pl.
Melodies (#). [OE.
melodie, F. m\'82lodie, L.
melodia, fr. Gr. Ode.]
1. A sweet or agreeable succession of sounds.
Lulled with sound of sweetest melody.
Shak.
2. (Mus.) A rhythmical succession of
single tones, ranging for the most part within a given key, and
so related together as to form a musical whole, having the unity
of what is technically called a musical thought, at once pleasing
to the ear and characteristic in expression.
Melody consists in a succession of single
tones; harmony is a consonance or agreement of tones,
also a succession of consonant musical combinations or
chords.
3. The air or tune of a musical piece.
Syn. -- See Harmony.
\'d8Mel"o*e (?), [ NL., fr. Gr. (Zo\'94l.) A genus of
beetles without wings, but having short oval elytra; the oil
beetles. These beetles are sometimes used instead of cantharides
for raising blisters. See Oil beetle, under
Oil.
<-- p. 911 -->
Mel"o*graph (?), n. [Gr. -graph : cf. F.
m\'82lographe.] Same as
Melodiograph.
Mel`o*lon*thid"i*an (?), n.
[Gr. (Zo\'94l.) A
beetle of the genus Melolontha, and allied genera. See
May beetle, under May.
Mel"on (?), n. [F., fr. L.
melo, for melopepo an apple-shaped melon,
Gr. malum apple. Cf. Marmalade.]
1. (Bot.) The juicy fruit of certain
cucurbitaceous plants, as the muskmelon, watermelon, and citron
melon; also, the plant that produces the fruit.
2. (Zo\'94l.) A large, ornamental,
marine, univalve shell of the genus Melo.
Melon beetle (Zo\'94l.), a small
leaf beetle (Diabrotiea vittata), which damages the
leaves of melon vines. -- Melon cactus,
Melon thistle. (a) (Bot.)
A genus of cactaceous plants (Melocactus) having a
fleshy and usually globose stem with the surface divided into
spiny longitudinal ridges, and bearing at the top a prickly and
woolly crown in which the small pink flowers are half
concealed. M. communis, from the West Indies, is
often cultivated, and sometimes called Turk's cap.
(b) The related genus Mamillaria, in
which the stem is tubercled rather than ribbed, and the flowers
sometimes large. See Illust. under
Cactus.
Mel`o*pi*a"no (?), n. [Gr. piano.] A piano having a
mechanical attachment which enables the player to prolong the
notes at will.
Mel`o*plas"tic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to meloplasty, or the artificial formation of a new
cheek.
Mel"o*plas`ty (?), n. [Gr. -plasty: cf. F.
m\'82loplastie.] (Surg.) The
process of restoring a cheek which has been destroyed wholly or
in part.
\'d8Mel`o*p (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Mus.)
The art of forming melody; melody; -- now often used for a
melodic passage, rather than a complete melody.
Mel"o*type (?), n.
(Photog.) A picture produced by a process in
which development after exposure may be deferred indefinitely, so
as to permit transportation of exposed plates; also, the process
itself.
Mel*pom"e*ne (?), n. [L., fr.
Gr.
1. (Class. Myth.) The Muse of
tragedy.
2. (Astron.) The eighteenth
asteroid.
Mel"rose (?), n. Honey of
roses.
Melt (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
See 2d Milt.
Melt, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Melted (obs.) p. p.
Molten (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Melting.] [AS. meltan; akin
to Gr. malt, and prob. to E. smelt,
v. Smelt, v., Malt,
Milt the spleen.] 1. To reduce from
a solid to a liquid state, as by heat; to liquefy; as, to
mell wax, tallow, or lead; to melt ice or
snow.
2. Hence: To soften, as by a warming or kindly
influence; to relax; to render gentle or susceptible to mild
influences; sometimes, in a bad sense, to take away the firmness
of; to weaken.
Thou would'st have . . . melted down thy youth.
Shak.
For pity melts the mind to love.
Dryden.
Syn. -- To liquefy; fuse; thaw; mollify; soften.
Melt, v. i. 1. To be changed
from a solid to a liquid state under the influence of heat;
as, butter and wax melt at moderate
temperatures.
2. To dissolve; as, sugar melts in the
mouth.
3. Hence: To be softened; to become tender, mild,
or gentle; also, to be weakened or subdued, as by fear.
My soul melteth for heaviness.
Ps. cxix. 28.
Melting with tenderness and kind compassion.
Shak.
4. To lose distinct form or outline; to
blend.
The soft, green, rounded hills, with their flowing outlines,
overlapping and melting into each other.
J. C. Shairp.
5. To disappear by being dispersed or dissipated;
as, the fog melts away.
Shak.
Melt"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being melted.
Melt"er (?), One who, or that which,
melts.
Melt"ing, n. Liquefaction; the act of
causing (something) to melt, or the process of becoming
melted.
Melting point (Chem.), the degree
of temperature at which a solid substance melts or fuses; as,
the melting point of ice is 0. --
Melting pot, a vessel in which anything is melted;
a crucible.
Melt"ing a. Causing to melt; becoming
melted; -- used literally or figuratively; as, a
melting heat; a melting appeal; a
melting mood. --
Melt"ing*ly, adv.
Mel"ton (?), [Etymol. uncertain.]
A kind of stout woolen cloth with unfinished face and
without raised nap. A commoner variety has a cotton warp.
Mem"ber (?), v. t. [See
Remember.] To remember; to cause to remember;
to mention. [Obs.]
Mem"ber, n. [OE. membre, F.
membre, fr. L. membrum; cf. Goth.
mimz flesh, Skr. mamsa.]
1. (Anat.) A part of an animal capable
of performing a distinct office; an organ; a limb.
We have many members in one body, and all
members have not the same office.
Rom. xii. 4.
2. Hence, a part of a whole; an independent
constituent of a body; as: (a) A part of a
discourse or of a period or sentence; a clause; a part of a
verse. (b) (Math.) Either of the
two parts of an algebraic equation, connected by the sign of
equality. (c) (Engin.) Any
essential part, as a post, tie rod, strut, etc., of a framed
structure, as a bridge truss. (d)
(Arch.) Any part of a building, whether
constructional, as a pier, column, lintel, or the like, or
decorative, as a molding, or group of moldings.
(e) One of the persons composing a society,
community, or the like; an individual forming part of an
association; as, a member of the society of
Friends.
Compression member, Tension
member (Engin.), a member, as a rod,
brace, etc., which is subjected to compression or tension,
respectively.
Mem"bered (?), a. 1.
Having limbs; -- chiefly used in composition.
2. (Her.) Having legs of a different
tincture from that of the body; -- said of a bird in heraldic
representations.
Mem"ber*ship, n. 1. The state
of being a member.
2. The collective body of members, as of a
society.
Mem"bral (?), a. (Anat.)
Relating to a member.
Mem`bra*na"ceous (?), a. [L.
membranaceus.]
1. Same as Membranous.
Arbuthnot.
2. (Bot.) Thin and rather soft or
pliable, as the leaves of the rose, peach tree, and aspen
poplar.
Mem"brane (?), n. [F., fr. L.
membrana the skin that covers the separate members of
the body, fr. L. membrum. See Member.]
(Anat.) A thin layer or fold of tissue, usually
supported by a fibrous network, serving to cover or line some
part or organ, and often secreting or absorbing certain
fluids.
Adventitious membrane, a membrane connecting
parts not usually connected, or of a different texture from the
ordinary connection; as, the membrane of a cicatrix. --
Jacob's membrane. See under Retina.
-- Mucous membranes (Anat.), the
membranes lining passages and cavities which communicate with the
exterior, as well as ducts and receptacles of secretion, and
habitually secreting mucus. -- Schneiderian
membrane. (Anat.) See
Schneiderian. -- Serous membranes
(Anat.) , the membranes, like the peritoneum and
pleura, which line, or lie in, cavities having no obvious outlet,
and secrete a serous fluid.
Mem*bra"ne*ous (?), a. [L.
membraneus of parchment.] See
Membranous.
Mem`bra*nif"er*ous (?), a.
[Membrane + -ferous.]
Having or producing membranes.
Mem*bra"ni*form (?), a.
[Membrane + -form: cf. F.
membraniforme.] Having the form of a
membrane or of parchment.
Mem`bra*nol"o*gy (?), n.
[Membrane + -logy.] The
science which treats of membranes.
Mem"bra*nous (?), a. [Cf. F.
membraneux.]
1. Pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling,
membrane; as, a membranous covering or
lining.
2. (Bot.) Membranaceous.
Membranous croup (Med.), true
croup. See Croup.
Me*men"to (?), n.; pl.
Mementos (#). [L., remember, be
mindful, imper. of meminisse to remember. See
Mention.] A hint, suggestion, token, or
memorial, to awaken memory; that which reminds or recalls to
memory; a souvenir.
Seasonable mementos may be useful.
Bacon.
\'d8Me*min"na (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A small deerlet, or chevrotain, of
India.
Mem"non (?), n. [L., from Gr.
(Antiq.) A celebrated Egyptian statue near
Thebes, said to have the property of emitting a harplike sound at
sunrise.
{ Mem"oir (?), or pl.
Mem"oirs (?) }, n. [F.
m\'82moire, m., memorandum, fr. m\'82moire,
f., memory, L. memoria. See Memory.]
1. A memorial account; a history composed from
personal experience and memory; an account of transactions or
events (usually written in familiar style) as they are remembered
by the writer. See History, 2.
2. A memorial of any individual; a biography;
often, a biography written without special regard to method and
completeness.
3. An account of something deemed noteworthy; an
essay; a record of investigations of any subject; the journals
and proceedings of a society.
Mem"oir*ist, n. A writer of
memoirs.
\'d8Mem`o*ra*bil"i*a (?), n. pl.
[L., fr. memorabilis memorable. See
Memorable.] Things remarkable and worthy of
remembrance or record; also, the record of them.
Mem`o*ra*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being memorable.
Mem"o*ra*ble (?), a. [L.
memorabilis, fr. memorare to bring to
remembrance, fr. memor mindful, remembering. See
Memory, and cf. Memorabilia.] Worthy
to be remembered; very important or remarkable. --
Mem"o*ra*ble*ness, n. --
Mem"o*ra*bly, adv.
Surviving fame to gain,
Buy tombs, by books, by memorable deeds.
Sir J. Davies.
Mem`o*ran"dum (?), n.; pl. E.
Memorandums, L. Memoranda
(#). [L., something to be remembered, neut.
of memorandus, fut. pass. p. of memorare.
See Memorable.]
1. A record of something which it is desired to
remember; a note to help the memory.
I . . . entered a memorandum in my pocketbook.
Guardian.
I wish you would, as opportunity offers, make
memorandums of the regulations of the academies.
Sir J. Reynolds.
2. (Law) A brief or informal note in
writing of some transaction, or an outline of an intended
instrument; an instrument drawn up in a brief and compendious
form.
Memorandum check, a check given as an
acknowledgment of indebtedness, but with the understanding that
it will not be presented at bank unless the maker fails to take
it up on the day the debt becomes due. It usually has
Mem. written on its face.
Mem"o*rate (?), v. t. [L.
memoratus, p. p. of memorare. See
Memorable.] To commemorate.
[Obs.]
Mem"o*ra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
m\'82moratif.] Commemorative.
[Obs.]
Hammond.
\'d8Me*mo"ri*a (?), n.
[L.] Memory.
Memoria technica, technical memory; a
contrivance for aiding the memory.
Me*mo"ri*al (?), a. [F.
m\'82morial, L. memorialis, fr.
memoria. See Memory.]
1. Serving to preserve remembrance; commemorative;
as, a memorial building.
There high in air, memorial of my name,
Fix the smooth oar, and bid me live to fame.
Pope.
2. Contained in memory; as, a memorial
possession.
3. Mnemonic; assisting the memory.
This succession of Aspirate, Soft, and Hard, may be expressed
by the memorial word ASH.
Skeat.
Memorial Day. Same as Decoration Day.
[U.S.]
Me*mo"ri*al, n. [Cf. F.
m\'82morial.]
1. Anything intended to preserve the memory of a
person or event; something which serves to keep something else in
remembrance; a monument.
Macaulay.
Churches have names; some as memorials of peace,
some of wisdom, some in memory of the Trinity itself.
Hooker.
2. A memorandum; a record. [Obs. or
R.]
Hayward.
3. A written representation of facts, addressed to
the government, or to some branch of it, or to a society, etc.,
-- often accompanied with a petition.
4. Memory; remembrance. [Obs.]
Precious is the memorial of the just.
Evelyn.
5. (Diplomacy) A species of informal
state paper, much used in negotiation.
Me*mo"ri*al*ist, n. [Cf. F.
m\'82morialiste.] One who writes or signs a
memorial.
Me*mo"ri*al*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Memorialized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Memorializing
(?).] To address or petition by a
memorial; to present a memorial to; as, to
memorialize the legislature.
T. Hook.
Me*mo"ri*al*i`zer (?), n. One
who petitions by a memorial.
T. Hook.
Mem"o*rist (?), n. [See
Memorize.] One who, or that which, causes to
be remembered. [Obs.]
\'d8Me*mor"i*ter (?), adv. [L.,
fr. memor mindful. See Memorable.]
By, or from, memory.
Mem"o*rize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Memorized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Memorizing
(?).] [See Memory.]
1. To cause to be remembered ; hence, to
record. [Obs.]
They neglect to memorize their conquest.
Spenser.
They meant to . . . memorize another Golgotha.
Shak.
2. To commit to memory; to learn by heart.
Mem"o*ry (?), n.; pl.
Memories (#). [OE.
memorie, OF. memoire, memorie,
F. m\'82moire, L. memoria, fr.
memor mindful; cf. mora delay. Cf.
Demur, Martyr, Memoir,
Remember.]
1. The faculty of the mind by which it retains the
knowledge of previous thoughts, impressions, or events.
Memory is the purveyor of reason.
Rambler.
2. The reach and positiveness with which a person
can remember; the strength and trustworthiness of one's power to
reach and represent or to recall the past; as, his
memory was never wrong.
3. The actual and distinct retention and
recognition of past ideas in the mind; remembrance; as, in
memory of youth; memories of foreign
lands.
4. The time within which past events can be or are
remembered; as, within the memory of man.
And what, before thy memory, was done
From the begining.
Milton.
5. Something, or an aggregate of things,
remembered; hence, character, conduct, etc., as preserved in
remembrance, history, or tradition; posthumous fame; as, the
war became only a memory.
The memory of the just is blessed.
Prov. x. 7.
That ever-living man of memory, Henry the
Fifth.
Shak.
The Nonconformists . . . have, as a body, always venerated her
[Elizabeth's] memory.
Macaulay.
6. A memorial. [Obs.]
These weeds are memories of those worser hours.
Shak.
Syn. -- Memory, Remembrance,
Recollection, Reminiscence.
Memory is the generic term, denoting the power by
which we reproduce past impressions. Remembrance is an
exercise of that power when things occur spontaneously
to our thoughts. In recollection we make a distinct
effort to collect again, or call back, what we know
has been formerly in the mind. Reminiscence is
intermediate between remembrance and
recollection, being a conscious process of recalling
past occurrences, but without that full and varied reference to
particular things which characterizes recollection.
\'bdWhen an idea again recurs without the operation of the like
object on the external sensory, it is remembrance; if
it be sought after by the mind, and with pain and endeavor found,
and brought again into view, it is
recollection.\'b8
Locke.
To draw to memory, to put on record; to
record. [Obs.]
Chaucer. Gower.
Mem"phi*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the ancient city of Memphis in Egypt; hence,
Egyptian; as, Memphian darkness.
Men (?), n., pl. of
Man.
Men, pron. [OE. me,
men. \'bdNot the plural of man, but a
weakened form of the word man itself.\'b8
Skeat.] A man; one; -- used with a verb in
the singular, and corresponding to the present indefinite
one or they. [Obs.]
Piers Plowman.
Men moot give silver to the poure triars.
Chaucer.
A privy thief, men clepeth death.
Chaucer.
Me*nac"can*ite (?), n. [From
Menaccan, in Cornwall, where it was first
found.] (Min.) An iron-black or steel-gray
mineral, consisting chiefly of the oxides of iron and titanium.
It is commonly massive, but occurs also in rhombohedral crystals.
Called also titanic iron ore, and
ilmenite.
Men"ace (?), n. [F., fr. L.
minaciae threats, menaces, fr. minax,
-acis, projecting, threatening, minae
projecting points or pinnacles, threats. Cf. Amenable,
Demean, Imminent, Minatory.]
The show of an intention to inflict evil; a threat or
threatening; indication of a probable evil or catastrophe to
come.
His (the pope's) commands, his rebukes, his
menaces.
Milman.
The dark menace of the distant war.
Dryden.
<-- p. 912 -->
Men"ace (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Menaced
(\'best); p. pr. & vb. n. Menacing
(?).] [OF. menacier, F.
menacer. See Menace, n.]
1. To express or show an intention to inflict, or
to hold out a prospect of inflicting, evil or injury upon; to
threaten; -- usually followed by with before the harm
threatened; as, to menace a country with
war.
My master . . . did menace me with death.
Shak.
2. To threaten, as an evil to be inflicted.
By oath he menaced
Revenge upon the cardinal.
Shak.
Men"ace, v. i. To act in threatening
manner; to wear a threatening aspect.
Who ever knew the heavens menace so?
Shak.
Men"a*cer (?), n. One who
menaces.
Men"a*cing*ly, adv. In a threatening
manner.
\'d8M\'82`nage" (?), n. See
Manage.
\'d8M\'82`nage" (?), n. [See
Menagerie.] A collection of animals; a
menagerie. [Obs.]
Addison.
Men*ag"er*ie (?), n. [F.
m\'82nagerie, fr. m\'82nager to keep house,
m\'82nage household. See Menial,
Mansion.] 1. A piace where animals
are kept and trained.
2. A collection of wild or exotic animals, kept for
exhibition.
Men"a*gogue (?), n. [F.
m\'82nagogue, fr. Gr.
(Med.) Emmenagogue.
\'d8Me*na"ion (?), n.; pl.
Menaia (-y\'86). [NL., from Gr.
(Eccl.) A work of twelve
volumes, each containing the offices in the Greek Church for a
month; also, each volume of the same.
Shipley.
{ Men"ald (?), Men"ild
(?), } a. Covered with spots;
speckled; variegated. [Obs.]
Mend (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mended; p. pr.
& vb. n. Mending.] [Abbrev. fr.
amend. See Amend.]
1. To repair, as anything that is torn, broken,
defaced, decayed, or the like; to restore from partial decay,
injury, or defacement; to patch up; to put in shape or order
again; to re-create; as, to mend a garment or a
machine.
2. To alter for the better; to set right; to
reform; hence, to quicken; as, to mend one's manners
or pace.
The best service they could do the state was to
mend the lives of the persons who composed it.
Sir W. Temple.
3. To help, to advance, to further; to add
to.
Though in some lands the grass is but short, yet it
mends garden herbs and fruit.
Mortimer.
You mend the jewel by the wearing it.
Shak.
Syn. -- To improve; help; better; emend; amend; correct;
rectify; reform.
Mend, v. i. To grow better; to advance
to a better state; to become improved.
Shak.
Mend"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being mended.
Men*da"cious (?), a. [L.
mendax, -acis, lying, cf.
mentiri to lie.] 1. Given to
deception or falsehood; lying; as, a mendacious
person.
2. False; counterfeit; containing falsehood;
as, a mendacious statement.
-- Men*da"cious*ly, adv. --
Men*da"cious*ness, n.
Men*dac"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Mendacities (#). [L.
mendacitas.] 1. The quality or
state of being mendacious; a habit of lying.
Macaulay.
2. A falsehood; a lie.
Sir T. Browne.
Syn. -- Lying; deceit; untruth; falsehood.
Mend"er (?), n. One who mends
or repairs.
Men"di*ant (?), n. See
Mendinant. [Obs.]
Men"di*can*cy (?), n. The
condition of being mendicant; beggary; begging.
Burke.
Men"di*cant (?), a. [L.
mendicans, -antis, p. pr. of
mendicare to beg, fr. mendicus beggar,
indigent.] Practicing beggary; begging; living on
alms; as, mendicant friars.
Mendicant orders (R. C. Ch.),
certain monastic orders which are forbidden to acquire landed
property and are required to be supported by alms, esp. the
Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Carmelites, and the
Augustinians.
Men"di*cant, n. A beggar; esp., one who
makes a business of begging; specifically, a begging friar.
Men"di*cate (?), v. t.& i. [L.
mendicatus, p. p. of mendicare to
beg.] To beg. [R.]
Johnson.
Men`di*ca"tion (?), n. The act
or practice of begging; beggary; mendicancy.
Sir T. Browne.
Men*dic"i*ty (?), n. [L.
mendicitas: cf. F. mendicit\'82. See
Mendicant.] The practice of begging; the life
of a beggar; mendicancy.
Rom. of R.
Men"di*nant (?), n. A mendicant
or begging friar. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mend"ment (?), n.
Amendment. [Obs.]
Men"dole (?), n. [Cf. F.
mendol, mendole.]
(Zo\'94l.) The cackerel.
Men"dre*gal (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) Medregal.
Mends (?), n. See
Amends. [Obs.]
Shak.
Menge (?), v. i.
[imp. Mente, Meinte;
p. p. Ment, Meint.]
[See Mingle.] To mix.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
Men*ha"den (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) An American marine fish of the Herring
familt (Brevoortia tyrannus), chiefly valuable for its
oil and as a component of fertilizers; -- called also
mossbunker, bony fish,
chebog, pogy,
hardhead, whitefish,
etc.
Men"hir (?), n. [F. Armor.
men stone + hir high.] A large
stone set upright in olden times as a memorial or monument. Many,
of unknown date, are found in Brittany and throughout Northern
Europe.
Men"ial (?), a. [OE.
meneal, fr. meine, maine,
household, OF. maisni\'82e, maisnie, LL.
mansionaticum. See Mansion, and cf.
Meine, n., Meiny.]
1. Belonging to a retinue or train of servants;
performing servile office; serving.
Two menial dogs before their master pressed.
Dryden.
2. Pertaining to servants, esp. domestic servants;
servile; low; mean. \'bd Menial offices.\'b8
Swift.
Men"ial, n. 1. A domestic
servant or retainer, esp. one of humble rank; one employed in low
or servile offices.
2. A person of a servile character or
disposition.
M\'82`ni\'8are's" dis*ease" (?).
(Med.) A disease characterized by deafness and
vertigo, resulting in inco\'94rdination of movement. It is
supposed to depend upon a morbid condition of the semicircular
canals of the internal ear. Named after M\'82ni\'8are,
a French physician.
Men"i*lite (?), n. [F.
m\'82nilite; -- so called because it is found at
M\'82nilmontant, near Paris.] (Min.)
See Opal.
Me*nin"ge*al (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the meninges.
Me*nin"ges (?), n. pl.; sing.
Meninx (. [NL., fr. Gr.
(Anat.) The three
membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord; the pia mater,
dura mater, and arachnoid membrane.
Men`in*gi"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Meninges, and -itis.] (Med.)
Inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal
cord.
Cerebro-spinal meningitis. See under
Cerebro-spinal.
Me*nis"cal (?), a. Pertaining
to, or having the form of, a meniscus.
Me*nis"coid (?), a.
[Meniscus + -oid.]
Concavo-convex, like a meniscus.
Me*nis"cus (?), n.; pl. L.
Menisci (-s\'c6), E. Meniscuses
(#). [NL., from Gr. mh`nh the moon.] 1. A
crescent.
2. (Opt.) A lens convex on one side and
concave on the other.
3. (Anat.) An interarticular synovial
cartilage or membrane; esp., one of the intervertebral synovial
disks in some parts of the vertebral column of birds.
Converging meniscus, Diverging
meniscus. See Lens.
Men`i*sper*ma"ceous (?), a.
[Gr. mh`nh the moon + spe`rma
seed.] (Bot.) Pertaining to a natural order
(Menispermace) of climbing plants of which
moonseed (Menispermum) is the type.
Men`i*sper"mic (, a.
Pertaining to, or obtained from, moonseed
(Menispermum), or other plants of the same family, as
the Anamirta Cocculus.
Men`i*sper"mine (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82nispermine.] (Chem.) An
alkaloid distinct from picrotoxin and obtained from the cocculus
indicus (the fruit of Anamirta Cocculus, formerly
Menispermum Cocculus) as a white, crystalline,
tasteless powder; -- called also
menispermina.
Men"i*ver (?), n. [OF.
menuver, menuveir, menuvair, a
grayish fur; menu small + vair a kind of
fur. See Minute, a., and
Vair.] Same as Miniver.
{ Men"non*ist (?), Men"non*ite
(?), } n. (Eccl. Hist.)
One of a small denomination of Christians, so called from
Menno Simons of Friesland, their founder. They believe
that the New Testament is the only rule of faith, that there is
no original sin, that infants should not be baptized, and that
Christians ought not to take oath, hold office, or render
military service.
{ Men"o*branch (?),
\'d8Men`o*bran"chus (?), } n.
[NL. menobranchus, fr. Gr. (Zo\'94l.) A large aquatic American
salamander of the genus Necturus, having permanent
external gills.
{ \'d8Men`o*lo"gi*um (?),
Me*nol"o*gy (?), } n.;
pl. L. Menologia (#), E.
Menologies (#). [NL.
menologium, fr. Gr. m\'82nologe.] 1. A register of
months.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
2. (Gr. Church) A brief calendar of the
lives of the saints for each day in the year, or a simple
remembrance of those whose lives are not written.
Men"o*pause (?), n. [Gr. Menses.]
(Med.) The period of natural cessation of
menstruation. See Change of life, under
Change.
{ \'d8Men`o*po"ma (?), Men"o*pome
(?), } n. [NL.
menopoma, fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) The hellbender.
\'d8Men`or*rha"gi*a (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Med.) (a) Profuse menstruation.
(b) Any profuse bleeding from the uterus;
Metrorrhagia.
\'d8Me*nos"ta*sis (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. mh`n month + 'istan`nai to
stop.] (Med.) Stoppage of the mences.
Men`os*ta"tion (?), n.
(Med.) Same as Menostasis.
Men"ow (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
A minnow.
Men"-pleas`er (?), n. One whose
motive is to please men or the world, rather than God.
Eph. vi. 6.
Men"sal (?), a. [L.
mensalis, fr. mensa table.]
Belonging to the table; transacted at table; as,
mensa conversation.
Men"sal (?), a. [L.
mensis month.] Occurring once in a month;
monthly.
Mense (?), n. [OE.
menske, AS. mennisc human, man. See
Man.] Manliness; dignity; comeliness;
civility. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] --
Mense"ful (#), a. --
Mense"less, a.
Mense, v. t. To grace.
[Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
\'d8Men"ses (?), n. pl. [L.
mensis month, pl. menses months, and the
monthly courses of women. Cf. Month.]
(Med.) The catamenial or menstrual discharge, a
periodic flow of blood or bloody fluid from the uterus or female
generative organs.
Men"stru*al (?), a. [L.
menstrualis: cf. F. menstruel. See
Menstruous.] 1. Recurring once a
month; monthly; gone through in a month; as, the
menstrual revolution of the moon; pertaining to
monthly changes; as, the menstrual equation of the
sun's place.
2. Of or pertaining to the menses; as,
menstrual discharges; the menstrual
period.
3. Of or pertaining to a menstruum.
Bacon.
Men"stru*ant (?), a. [L.
menstruans, p. pr. of menstruare to have a
monthly term, fr. menstruus. See
Menstruous.] Subject to monthly flowing or
menses.
Men"stru*ate (?), a.
Menstruous. [Obs.]
Men"stru*ate (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Menstruated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Menstruating
(?).] To discharge the menses; to have
the catamenial flow.
Men`stru*a"tion (?), n. The
discharge of the menses; also, the state or the period of
menstruating.
Men"strue (?), n. [Cf. F.
menstrues. See Menstruous.] The
menstrual flux; menses. [Obs.]
Men"stru*ous (?), a. [L.
menstruus, fr. mensis month. Cf.
Menstruum.] 1. Having the monthly
flow or discharge; menstruating.
2. Of or pertaining tj the monthly flow;
catamenial.
Men"stru*um (?), n.; pl. E.
Menstruums (#), L. Menstrua
(#). [L. menstruus. See
Menstruous.] Any substance which dissolves a
solid body; a solvent.
The proper menstruum to dissolve metal.
Bacon.
All liquors are called menstruums which are used as
dissolvents, or to extract the virtues of ingredients by infusion
or decoction.
Quincy.
Johnson.
Men`su*ra*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf.
F. mensurabilit\'82.] The quality of being
mensurable.
Men"su*ra*ble (?), a. [L.
mensurabilis, fr. mensurare to measure, fr.
mensura measure: cf. F. mensurable. See
Measurable, Measure.] Capable of
being measured; measurable.
Men"su*ra*ble*ness, n. The quality or
state of being mensurable; measurableness.
Men"su*ral (?), a. [L.
mensuralis.] Of or pertaining to
measure.
Men"su*rate (?), v. t. [L.
mensuratus, p. p. of mensurare. See
Measure, v.] To measure.
[Obs.]
Men`su*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
mensuratio : cf. F. mensuration.]
1. The act, process, or art, of measuring.
2. That branch of applied geometry which gives
rules for finding the length of lines, the areas of surfaces, or
the volumes of solids, from certain simple data of lines and
angles.
-ment (?), [F. -ment, L.
-mentum.] A suffix denoting that which
does a thing; an act or process;
the result of an act or process;
state or condition; as,
aliment, that which nourishes, ornament,
increment; fragment, piece broken,
segment; abridgment, act of abridging,
imprisonment, movement, adjournment;
amazement, state of being amazed,
astonishment.
Ment (?), p. p. of
Menge.
\'d8Men"ta*gra (?), n. [NL.,
fr. L. mentum chin + Gr.
(Med.) Sycosis.
Men"tal (?), a. [L.
mentum the chin.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the chin; genian; as, the mental
nerve; the mental region.
Men"tal, n. (Zo\'94l.) A
plate or scale covering the mentum or chin of a fish or
reptile.
Men"tal, a. [F., fr. L.
mentalis, fr. mens, mentis, the
mind; akin to E. mind. See Mind.]
Of or pertaining to the mind; intellectual; as,
mental faculties; mental operations,
conditions, or exercise.
What a mental power
This eye shoots forth!
Shak.
Mental alienation, insanity. --
Mental arithmetic, the art or practice of solving
arithmetical problems by mental processes, unassisted by written
figures.
Men*tal"i*ty (?), n. Quality or
state of mind. \'bdThe same hard mentality.\'b8
Emerson.
Men"tal*ly (?), adv. In the
mind; in thought or meditation; intellectually; in idea.
\'d8Men"tha (?), n. [L. See
Mint the plant.] (Bot.) A widely
distributed genus of fragrant herbs, including the peppermint,
spearmint, etc. The plants have small flowers, usually arranged
in dense axillary clusters.
Men"thene (?), n.
[Menthol + terpene.]
(Chem.) A colorless liquid hydrocarbon resembling
oil of turpentine, obtained by dehydrating menthol. It has an
agreeable odor and a cooling taste.
Men"thol (?), n.
[Mentha + -ol.]
(Chem.) A white, crystalline, aromatic substance
resembling camphor, extracted from oil of peppermint
(Mentha); -- called also mint
camphor or peppermint camphor.
Men"thyl (?), n.
[Mentha + -yl.]
(Chem.) A compound radical forming the base of
menthol.
Men`ti*cul"tur*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to mental culture; serving to improve or strengthen
the mind. [R.]
Men"tion (?), n. [OE.
mencioun, F. mention, L. mentio,
from the root of meminisse to remember. See
Mind.] A speaking or notice of anything, --
usually in a brief or cursory manner. Used especially in the
phrase to make mention of.
I will make mention of thy righteousness.
Ps. lxxi. 16.
And sleep in dull, cold marble, where no mention
Of me more must be heard of.
Shak.
<-- p. 913 -->
Men"tion (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mentioned
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mentioning.] [Cf. F.
mentionner.] To make mention of; to speak
briefly of; to name.
I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the
Lord.
Is. lxiii. 7.
Men"tion*a*ble (?), a. Fit to
be mentioned.
Men`to*meck*e"li*an (?), a.
[1st mental + Meckelian.]
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the chin and lower
jaw. -- n. The bone or cartilage
forming the anterior extremity of the lower jaw in some adult
animals and the young of others.
Men"tor (?), n. [From
Mentor, the counselor of Telemachus, Gr. Monitor.] A wise and faithful
counselor or monitor.
Men*to"ri*al (?), a. [From
Mentor.] Containing advice or
admonition.
\'d8Men"tum (?), n. [L.,
chin.] (Zo\'94l.) The front median plate of
the labium in insects. See Labium.
\'d8Me*nu" (?), n. [F.,
slender, thin, minute. See 4th Minute.] The
details of a banquet; a bill of fare.
Me"nuse (?), v. i. See
Amenuse. [Obs.]
Me*ow" (?), v. i. & n. See 6th
and 7th Mew.
Meph`is*to*phe"li*an (? , a.
Pertaining to, or resembling, the devil Mephistopheles,
\'bda crafty, scoffing, relentless fiend;\'b8 devilish;
crafty.
{ Me*phit"ic (?), Me*phit"ic*al
(?), } a. [L.
mephiticus, fr. mephitis mephitis: cf. F.
m\'82phitique.] 1. Tending to
destroy life; poisonous; noxious; as, mephitic
exhalations; mephitic regions.
2. Offensive to the smell; as,
mephitic odors.
Mephitic air (Chem.), carbon
dioxide; -- so called because of its deadly suffocating power.
See Carbonic acid, under
Carbonic.
\'d8Me*phi"tis (?), n. [L.
mephitis : cf. F. m\'82phitis.]
1. Noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalations from
decomposing substances, filth, or other source.
2. (Zo\'94l.) A genus of mammals,
including the skunks.
Meph"i*tism (?), n. Same as
Mephitis, 1.
Me*ra"cious (?), a. [L.
meracus, fr. merus pure, inmixed.]
Being without mixture or adulteration; hence, strong;
racy. [Obs.]
Mer"ca*ble (?), a. [L.
mercabilis, fr. mercari to trade, traffic,
buy. See Merchant.] Capable of being bought
or sold. [Obs.]
Mer"can*tile (?; 277), a. [F.
mercantile, It. mercantile, fr. L.
mercans, -antis, p. pr. of
mercari to traffic. See Merchant.]
Of or pertaining to merchants, or the business of merchants;
having to do with trade, or the buying and selling of
commodities; commercial.
The expedition of the Argonauts was partly
mercantile, partly military.
Arbuthnot.
Mercantile agency, an agency for procuring
information of the standing and credit of merchants in different
parts of the country, for the use of dealers who sell to
them. -- Mercantile marine, the persons and
vessels employed in commerce, taken collectively. --
Mercantile paper, the notes or acceptances given
by merchants for goods bought, or received on consignment; drafts
on merchants for goods sold or consigned.
McElrath.
Syn. -- Mercantile, Commercial.
Commercial is the wider term, being sometimes
used to embrace mercantile. In their stricter use,
commercial relates to the shipping, freighting,
forwarding, and other business connected with the
commerce of a country (whether external or internal),
that is, the exchange of commodities; while mercantile
applies to the sale of merchandise and goods when brought to
market. As the two employments are to some extent intermingled,
the two words are often interchanged.
Mer*cap"tal (?), n.
[Mercaptan + aldehyde.]
(Chem.) Any one of a series of compounds of
mercaptans with aldehydes.
Mer*cap"tan (?), n. [F., fr.
NL. mercurius mercury + L. captans, p. pr.
of captare to seize, v. intens. fr.
capere.] (Chem.) Any one of
series of compounds, hydrosulphides of alcohol radicals, in
composition resembling the alcohols, but containing sulphur in
place of oxygen, and hence called also the sulphur
alcohols. In general, they are colorless liquids having
a strong, repulsive, garlic odor. The name is specifically
applied to ethyl mercaptan, C2H5SH. So called
from its avidity for mercury, and other metals.
Mer*cap"tide (? , n.
(Chem.) A compound of mercaptan formed by
replacing its sulphur hydrogen by a metal; as, potassium
mercaptide, C2H5SK.
Mer"cat (?), n. [L.
mercatus : cf. It. mercato. See
Market.] Market; trade.
[Obs.]
Bp. Sprat.
Mer`ca*tan"te (?; It. ?), n.
[It. See Merchant.] A foreign
trader. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mer*ca"tor's chart" (?). See under
Chart, and see Mercator's projection, under
Projection.
Mer"ca*ture (?; 135), n. [L.
mercatura commerce.] Commerce; traffic;
trade. [Obs.]
Merce (?), v. t. [See
Amerce.] To subject to fine or amercement; to
mulct; to amerce. [Obs.]
\'d8Mer`ce*na"ri*a (?), n. [NL.
See Mercenary.] (Zo\'94l.) The
quahog.
Mer`ce*na"ri*an (-an), n.
A mercenary. [Obs.]
Mer"ce*na`ri*ly (?), adv. In a
mercenary manner.
Mer"ce*na*ri*ness, n. The quality or
state of being mercenary; venality.
Boyle.
Mer"ce*na*ry (?), a. [OE.
mercenarie, F. mercenaire, fr. L.
mercenarius, fr. merces wages, reward. See
Mercy.] 1. Acting for reward;
serving for pay; paid; hired; hireling; venal; as,
mercenary soldiers.
2. Hence: Moved by considerations of pay or profit;
greedy of gain; sordid; selfish.
Shak.
For God forbid I should my papers blot
With mercenary lines, with servile pen.
Daniel.
Syn. -- See Venal.
Mer"ce*na*ry (?), n.; pl.
Mercenaries (. One who is
hired; a hireling; especially, a soldier hired into foreign
service.
Milman.
Mer"cer (?), n. [F.
mercier, fr. L. merx, mercis,
wares, merchandise. See Merchant.]
Originally, a dealer in any kind of goods or wares; now
restricted to a dealer in textile fabrics, as silks or
woolens. [Eng.]
Mer"cer*ship, n. The business of a
mercer.
Mer"cer*y (?), n. [F.
mercerie.] The trade of mercers; the goods
in which a mercer deals.
Mer"chand (?), v. i. [F.
marchander. See Merchant.] To
traffic. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Mer"chan*di`sa*ble (?), a. Such
as can be used or transferred as merchandise.
Mer"chan*dise (?), n. [F.
marchandise, OF. marcheandise.]
1. The objects of commerce; whatever is usually
bought or sold in trade, or market, or by merchants; wares;
goods; commodities.
Spenser.
2. The act or business of trading; trade;
traffic.
Mer"chan*dise, v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Merchandised (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Merchandising (?).]
To trade; to carry on commerce.
Bacon.
Mer"chan*dise, v. t. To make merchandise
of; to buy and sell. \'bdLove is
merchandised.\'b8
Shak.
Mer"chan*di`ser (?), n. A
trader.
Bunyan.
Mer"chand*ry (?), n. [See
Merchant.] Trade; commerce.
[Obs.]
Bp. Sanderson.
Mer"chant (?), n. [OE.
marchant, OF. marcheant, F.
marchand, fr. LL. mercatans,
-antis, p. pr. of mercatare to negotiate,
L. mercari to traffic, fr. merx,
mercis, wares. See Market, Merit,
and cf. Commerce.] 1. One who
traffics on a large scale, especially with foreign countries; a
trafficker; a trader.
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad.
Shak.
2. A trading vessel; a merchantman.
[Obs.]
Shak.
3. One who keeps a store or shop for the sale of
goods; a shopkeeper. [U. S. & Scot.]
Mer"chant, a. Of, pertaining to, or
employed in, trade or merchandise; as, the merchant
service.
Merchant bar, Merchant iron steel, certain common sizes of wrought iron
and steel bars. -- Merchant service, the
mercantile marine of a country. Am. Cyc. --
Merchant ship, a ship employed in commerce.
-- Merchant tailor, a tailor who keeps and sells
materials for the garments which he makes.
Mer"chant, v. i. To be a merchant; to
trade. [Obs.]
Mer"chant*a*ble (?), a. Fit for
market; such as is usually sold in market, or such as will bring
the ordinary price; as, merchantable wheat;
sometimes, a technical designation for a particular kind or
class.
Mer"chant*ly, a. Merchantlike; suitable
to the character or business of a merchant.
[Obs.]
Gauden.
Mer"chant*man (?), n.; pl.
Merchantmen (.
1. A merchant. [Obs.]
Matt. xiii. 45.
2. A trading vessel; a ship employed in the
transportation of goods, as, distinguished from a
man-of-war.
Mer"chant*ry (?), n. 1.
The body of merchants taken collectively; as, the
merchantry of a country.
2. The business of a merchant; merchandise.
Walpole.
Mer"ci*a*ble (?), a.
[OF.] Merciful. [Obs.]
Mer"ci*ful (?), a.
[Mercy + -ful.] 1.
Full of mercy; having or exercising mercy; disposed to pity
and spare offenders; unwilling to punish.
The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious.
Ex. xxxiv. 6.
Be merciful, great duke, to men of mold.
Shak.
2. Unwilling to give pain; compassionate.
A merciful man will be merciful to his
beast.
Old Proverb.
Syn. -- Compassionate; tender; humane; gracious; kind; mild;
clement; benignant.
-- Mer"ci*ful*ly, adv. --
Mer"ci*ful*ness, n.
Mer"ci*fy (?), v. t. To
pity. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Mer"ci*less, a. Destitute of mercy;
cruel; unsparing; -- said of animate beings, and also,
figuratively, of things; as, a merciless tyrant;
merciless waves.
The foe is merciless, and will not pity.
Shak.
Syn. -- Cruel; unmerciful; remorseless; ruthless; pitiless;
barbarous; savage.
-- Mer"ci*less*ly, adv. --
Mer"ci*less*ness, n.
Mer`cur*am*mo"ni*um (?), n.
[Mercuric + ammonium.]
(Chem.) A radical regarded as derived from
ammonium by the substitution of mercury for a portion of the
hydrogen.
Mer*cu"ri*al (?), a. [L.
mercurialis, fr. Mercurius Mercury: cf. F.
mercuriel.] 1. Having the
qualities fabled to belong to the god Mercury; swift; active;
sprightly; fickle; volatile; changeable; as, a
mercurial youth; a mercurial
temperament.
A mercurial man
Who fluttered over all things like a fan.
Byron.
2. Having the form or image of Mercury; -- applied
to ancient guideposts. [Obs.]
Chillingworth.
3. Of or pertaining to Mercury as the god of trade;
hence, money-making; crafty.
The mercurial wand of commerce.
J. Q. Adams.
4. Of or pertaining to, or containing, mercury;
as, mercurial preparations, barometer. See
Mercury, 2.
5. (Med.) Caused by the use of mercury;
as, mercurial sore mouth.
Mer*cu"ri*al, n. 1. A person
having mercurial qualities.
Bacon.
2. (Med.) A preparation containing
mercury.
Mer*cu"ri*al*ist, n. 1. One
under the influence of Mercury; one resembling Mercury in
character.
2. (Med.) A physician who uses much
mercury, in any of its forms, in his practice.
Mer*cu"ri*al*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mercurialized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mercurializing
(?).] 1. (Med.) To
affect with mercury.
2. (Photography) To treat with mercury;
to expose to the vapor of mercury.
Mer*cu"ri*al*ize, v. i. To be sprightly,
fantastic, or capricious. [Obs.]
Mer*cu"ri*al*ly, adv. In a mercurial
manner.
Mer*cu"ric (?), a.
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from,
mercury; containing mercury; -- said of those compounds of
mercury into which this element enters in its lowest
proportion.
Mercuric chloride, corrosive sublimate. See
Corrosive.
Mer*cu`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n.
[Cf. F. mercurification. See
Mercurify.] 1. (Metal.)
The process or operation of obtaining the mercury, in its
fluid form, from mercuric minerals.
2. (Chem.) The act or process of
compounding, or the state of being compounded, with
mercury. [R.]
Mer*cu"ri*fy (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mercurified
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mercurifying
(?).] [Mercury +
-fy.] 1. To obtain mercury from,
as mercuric minerals, which may be done by any application of
intense heat that expels the mercury in fumes, which are
afterward condensed. [R.]
2. To combine or mingle mercury with; to impregnate
with mercury; to mercurialize. [R.]
Mer"cu*rism (?), n. A
communication of news; an announcement. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Mer*cu"rous (?), a.
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from,
mercury; containing mercury; -- said of those compounds of
mercury in which it is present in its highest proportion.
Mercurous chloride. (Chem.) See
Calomel.
Mer"cu*ry (?), n. [L.
Mercurius; akin to merx wares.]
1. (Rom. Myth.) A Latin god of commerce
and gain; -- treated by the poets as identical with the Greek
Hermes, messenger of the gods, conductor of souls to the lower
world, and god of eloquence.
2. (Chem.) A metallic element mostly
obtained by reduction from cinnabar, one of its ores. It is a
heavy, opaque, glistening liquid (commonly called
quicksilver), and is used in barometers,
thermometers, ect. Specific gravity 13.6. Symbol Hg
(Hydrargyrum). Atomic weight 199.8. Mercury has a
molecule which consists of only one atom. It was named by the
alchemists after the god Mercury, and designated by his symbol,
amalgams,
with many metals, and is thus used in applying tin foil to the
backs of mirrors, and in extracting gold and silver from their
ores. It is poisonous, and is used in medicine in the free state
as in blue pill, and in its compounds as calomel, corrosive
sublimate, etc. It is the only metal which is liquid at ordinary
temperatures, and it solidifies at about -39
3. (Astron.) One of the planets of the
solar system, being the one nearest the sun, from which its mean
distance is about 36,000,000 miles. Its period is 88 days, and
its diameter 3,000 miles.
4. A carrier of tidings; a newsboy; a messenger;
hence, also, a newspaper. Sir J. Stephen. \'bdThe
monthly Mercuries.\'b8 Macaulay.
5. Sprightly or mercurial quality; spirit;
mutability; fickleness. [Obs.]
He was so full of mercury that he could not fix
long in any friendship, or to any design.
Bp. Burnet.
6. (Bot.) A plant (Mercurialis
annua), of the Spurge family, the leaves of which are
sometimes used for spinach, in Europe.
Rhus Toxicodendron, or poison ivy.
Dog's mercury (Bot.),
Mercurialis perennis, a perennial plant differing
from M. annua by having the leaves sessile. --
English mercury (Bot.), a kind of
goosefoot formerly used as a pot herb; -- called Good
King Henry. -- Horn mercury
(Min.), a mineral chloride of mercury, having a
semitranslucent, hornlike appearance.
Mer"cu*ry, v. t. To wash with a
preparation of mercury. [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Mer"cy (?), n.; pl.
Mercies (#). [OE.
merci, F. merci, L. merces,
mercedis, hire, pay, reward, LL., equiv. to
misericordia pity, mercy. L. merces is
probmerere to deserve, acquire. See
Merit, and cf. Amerce.] 1.
Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of
provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate
treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency.
Examples of justice must be made for terror to some; examples
of mercy for comfort to others.
Bacon.
2. Compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and
helpless; sometimes, favor, beneficence.
Luke x. 37.
3. Disposition to exercise compassion or favor;
pity; compassion; willingness to spare or to help.
In whom mercy lacketh and is not founden.
Sir T. Elyot.
4. A blessing regarded as a manifestation of
compassion or favor.
The Father of mercies and the God of all
comfort.
2 Cor. i. 3.
Mercy seat (Bib.), the golden cover
or lid of the Ark of the Covenant. See Ark, 2. --
Sisters of Mercy (R. C. Ch.),a
religious order founded in Dublin in the year 1827. Communities
of the same name have since been established in various American
cities. The duties of those belonging to the order are, to attend
lying-in hospitals, to superintend the education of girls, and
protect decent women out of employment, to visit prisoners and
the sick, and to attend persons condemned to death. --
To be at the mercy of, to be wholly in the power
of.
Syn. -- See Grace.
Merd (?), n. [F.
merde, L. merda.] Ordure;
dung. [Obs.]
Burton.
-mere (?). [Gr. A
combining form meaning part, portion;
as, blastomere, epimere.
Mere (?), n. [Written also
mar.] [OE. mere, AS.
mere mere, sea; akin to D. meer lake, OS.
meri sea, OHG. meri, mari, G.
meer, Icel. marr, Goth. marei,
Russ. more, W. mor, Ir. & Gael.
muir, L. mare, and perh. to L.
mori to die, and meaning originally, that which is
dead, a waste. Cf. Mortal, Marine,
Marsh, Mermaid, Moor.] A
pool or lake.
Drayton. Tennyson.
Mere, n. [Written also meer
and mear.] [AS. gem.
A boundary.
Bacon.
<-- p. 914 -->
Mere (?), v. t. To divide,
limit, or bound. [Obs.]
Which meared her rule with Africa.
Spenser.
Mere, n. A mare.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mere (?), a.
[Superl. Merest. The comparative
is rarely or never used.] [L.
merus.] 1. Unmixed; pure; entire;
absolute; unqualified.
Then entered they the mere, main sea.
Chapman.
The sorrows of this world would be mere and
unmixed.
Jer. Taylor.
2. Only this, and nothing else; such, and no more;
simple; bare; as, a mere boy; a mere
form.
From mere success nothing can be concluded in favor
of any nation.
Atterbury.
Mere"ly, adv. 1. Purely;
unmixedly; absolutely.
Ulysses was to force forth his access,
Though merely naked.
Chapman.
2. Not otherwise than; simply; barely; only.
Prize not your life for other ends
Than merely to obige your friends.
Swift.
Syn. -- Solely; simply; purely; barely; scarcely.
\'d8Me*ren"chy*ma (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. -enchyma, as in
parenchyma.] (Bot.) Tissue
composed of spheroidal cells.
Meres"man (?), n. An officer
who ascertains meres or boundaries. [Eng.]
Mere"stead (?), n.
[Mere boundary + stead place.]
The land within the boundaries of a farm; a farmstead or
farm. [Archaic.]
Longfellow.
Mere"stone` (?), n. A stone
designating a limit or boundary; a landmark.
Bacon.
Mer`e*tri"cious (?), a. [L.
meretricius, from meretrix,
-icis, a prostitute, lit., one who earns money,
i. e., by prostitution, fr.
merere to earn, gain. See Merit.]
1. Of or pertaining to prostitutes; having to do
with harlots; lustful; as, meretricious
traffic.
2. Resembling the arts of a harlot; alluring by
false show; gaudily and deceitfully ornamental; tawdry; as,
meretricious dress or ornaments.
-- Mer`e*tri"cious*ly, adv. --
Mer`e*tri"cious*ness, n.
Mer*gan"ser (?), n. [Sp.
merg\'a0nsar, fr. mergo a diver (L.
mergus, fr. mergere to dip, dive) +
\'a0nsar goose, L. anser.]
(Zo\'94l.) Any bird of the genus
Merganser, and allied genera. They are allied to the
ducks, but have a sharply serrated bill.
Merganser
serrator) inhabits both hemispheres. It is called also
sawbill, harle, and
sheldrake. The American merganser (M.
Americanus.) and the hooded merganser (Lophodytes
cucullatus) are well-known species. --
White merganser, the smew or white
nun.
Merge (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Merged (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Merging
(?).] [L. mergere,
mersum. Cf. Emerge, Immerse,
Marrow.] To cause to be swallowed up; to
immerse; to sink; to absorb.
To merge all natural ... sentiment in inordinate
vanity.
Burke.
Whig and Tory were merged and swallowed up in the
transcendent duties of patriots.
De Quincey.
Merge, v. i. To be sunk, swallowed up,
or lost.
Native irresolution had merged in stronger
motives.
I. Taylor.
Mer"ger (?), n. 1. One
who, or that which, merges.
2. (Law) An absorption of one estate, or
one contract, in another, or of a minor offense in a
greater.
Mer"i*carp (?), n. [Gr. (Bot.) One carpel of an
umbelliferous fruit. See Cremocarp.
Mer"ide (? , n. [Gr. (Biol.) A permanent colony of
cells or plastids which may remain isolated, like Rotifer, or may
multiply by gemmation to form higher aggregates, termed
zoides.
Perrier.
Me*rid"i*an (?), a. [F.
m\'82ridien, L. meridianus pertaining to
noon, fr. meridies noon, midday, for older
medidies; medius mid, middle +
dies day. See Mid, and
Diurnal.] 1. Being at, or pertaining
to, midday; belonging to, or passing through, the highest point
attained by the sun in his diurnal course.
\'bdMeridian hour.\'b8
Milton.
Tables ... to find the altitude meridian.
Chaucer.
2. Pertaining to the highest point or culmination;
as, meridian splendor.
Me*rid"i*an, n. [F.
m\'82ridien. See Meridian,
a.]
1. Midday; noon.
2. Hence: The highest point, as of success,
prosperity, or the like; culmination.
I have touched the highest point of all my greatness,
And from that full meridian of my glory
I haste now to my setting.
Shak.
3. (Astron.) A great circle of the
sphere passing through the poles of the heavens and the zenith of
a given place. It is crossed by the sun at midday.
4. (Geog.) A great circle on the surface
of the earth, passing through the poles and any given place;
also, the half of such a circle included between the poles.
Calculated for, fitted to,
adapted to, the meridian of,
suited to the local circumstances, capabilities, or special
requirements of.
All other knowledge merely serves the concerns of this life,
and is fitted to the meridian thereof.
Sir M. Hale.
-- First meridian, the meridian from which
longitudes are reckoned. The meridian of Greenwich is the one
commonly employed in calculations of longitude by geographers,
and in actual practice, although in various countries other and
different meridians, chiefly those which pass through the
capitals of the countries, are occasionally used; as, in France,
the meridian of Paris; in the United States, the meridian of
Washington, etc. -- Guide meridian (Public
Land Survey), a line, marked by monuments, running
North and South through a section of country between other more
carefully established meridians called principal
meridians, used for reference in surveying.
[U.S.] -- Magnetic meridian, a
great circle, passing through the zenith and coinciding in
direction with the magnetic needle, or a line on the earth's
surface having the same direction. -- Meridian
circle (Astron.), an instrument consisting
of a telescope attached to a large graduated circle and so
mounted that the telescope revolves like the transit instrument
in a meridian plane. By it the right ascension and the
declination of a star may be measured in a single
observation. -- Meridian instrument
(Astron.), any astronomical instrument having a
telescope that rotates in a meridian plane. --
Meridian of a globe, Brass
meridian, a graduated circular ring of brass, in
which the artificial globe is suspended and revolves.
Me*rid"i*o*nal (?), a. [F.
m\'82ridional, L. meridionalis, fr.
meridies midday. See Meridian.]
1. Of or pertaining to the meridian.
2. Having a southern aspect; southern;
southerly.
Offices that require heat ... should be
meridional.
Sir H. Wotton.
Meridional distance, the distance or departure
from the meridian; the easting or westing. --
Meridional parts, parts of the meridian in
Mercator's projection, corresponding to each minute of latitude
from the equator up to 70 or 80 degrees; tabulated numbers
representing these parts used in projecting charts, and in
solving cases in Mercator's sailing.
Me*rid`i*o*nal"i*ty (?), n.
1. The state of being in the meridian.
2. Position in the south; aspect toward the
south.
Me*rid"i*o*nal*ly (?), adv. In
the direction of the meridian.
Mer"ils (?), n. [F.
m\'82relle, marelle, marelles,
LL. marella, marrella. Cf. Morris
the game.] A boy's play, called also
fivepenny morris. See Morris.
\'d8Me`ringue" (F. ?; E. ?), n.
[F.] A delicate pastry made of powdered sugar and
the whites of eggs whipped up, -- with jam or cream added.
Me*ri"no (?), a. [Sp.
merino moving from pasture to pasture, fr.
merino a royal judge and superintendent or inspector
of sheep walks, LL. merinus, fr. majorinus,
i. e., major villmajor greater. See
Major. Merino sheep are driven at certain seasons from
one part of Spain to another, in large flocks, for
pasturage.] 1. Of or pertaining to a variety
of sheep with very fine wool, originally bred in Spain.
2. Made of the wool of the merino sheep.
Me*ri"no, n.; pl. Merinos
(#). [Sp.] 1.
(Zo\'94l.) A breed of sheep originally from
Spain, noted for the fineness of its wool.
2. A fine fabric of merino wool.
Mer`is*mat"ic (?), a. [Gr. (Biol.) Dividing
into cells or segments; characterized by separation into two or
more parts or sections by the formation of internal partitions;
as, merismatic growth, where one cell divides into
many.
Mer"i*stem (?), n. [Gr. (Bot.) A tissue of growing
cells, or cells capable of further division.
Mer"it (?), n. [F.
m\'82rite, L. meritum, fr.
merere, mereri, to deserve, merit; prob.
originally, to get a share; akin to Gr. Market,
Merchant, Mercer, Mercy.]
1. The quality or state of deserving well or ill;
desert.
Here may men see how sin hath his merit.
Chaucer.
Be it known, that we, the greatest, are misthought
For things that others do; and when we fall,
We answer other's merits in our name.
Shak.
2. Esp. in a good sense: The quality or state of
deserving well; worth; excellence.
Reputation is ... oft got without merit, and lost
without deserving.
Shak.
To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And every author's merit, but his own.
Pope.
3. Reward deserved; any mark or token of excellence
or approbation; as, his teacher gave him ten
merits.
Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth.
Prior.
Mer"it, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Merited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Meriting.] [F. m\'82riter,
L. meritare, v. intens. fr. merere. See
Merit, n.] 1. To earn by
service or performance; to have a right to claim as reward; to
deserve; sometimes, to deserve in a bad sense; as, to
merit punishment. \'bdThis kindness
merits thanks.\'b8
Shak.
2. To reward. [R. & Obs.]
Chapman.
Mer"it, v. i. To acquire desert; to gain
value; to receive benefit; to profit. [Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Mer"it*a*ble (?), a. Deserving
of reward. [R.]
Mer"it*ed*ly, adv. By merit;
deservedly.
{ Mer"i*thal (?),
\'d8Mer`i*thal"lus (?), } n.
[NL. merithallus, fr. Gr. or (Bot.) Same as
Internode.
Mer"it*mon`ger (?), n. One who
depends on merit for salvation. [Obs.]
Milner.
Mer`i*to"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
meritorius that brings in money.]
Possessing merit; deserving of reward or honor; worthy of
recompense; valuable.
And meritorious shall that hand be called,
Canonized, and worshiped as a saint.
Shak.
-- Mer`i*to"ri*ous*ly, adv. --
Mer`i*to"ri*ous*ness, n.
Mer"i*to*ry (?), a.
Meritorious. [Obs.]
Mer"i*tot (?), n. A play of
children, in swinging on ropes, or the like, till they are
dizzy.
Merk (?), n. [See
Marc.] An old Scotch silver coin; a mark or
marc. [Scot.]
Merk, n. A mark; a sign.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Merke (?), a. Murky.
[Obs.]
Piers Plowman.
Mer"kin (?), n. Originally, a
wig; afterwards, a mop for cleaning cannon.
{ Merl (?), Merle, }
n. [F. merle, L. merula,
merulus. Cf. Ousel.]
(Zo\'94l.) The European blackbird. See
Blackbird.
Drayton.
Mer"lin (?), n. [OE.
merlion, F. \'82merillon ; cf. OHG.
smirl, G. schmerl ; prob. fr. L.
merula blackbird. Cf. Merle.]
(Zo\'94l.) A small European falcon (Falco
lithofalco, or F. \'91salon).
Mer"ling (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The European whiting.
Mer"lon (?), n. [F., perh. fr.
L. moerus, for murus a wall, through
(assumed) dim. moerulus.] (Fort.)
One of the solid parts of a battlemented parapet; a
battlement. See Illust. of Battlement.
Mer"luce (?), n. [F.
merluche, merlus.]
(Zo\'94l.) The European hake; -- called also
herring hake and sea
pike.
Mer"maid (?), n. [AS.
mere lake, sea. See Mere lake, and
maid.] A fabled marine creature, typically
represented as having the upper part like that of a woman, and
the lower like a fish; a sea nymph, sea woman, or woman
fish.
siren of the ancients.
Mermaid fish (Zo\'94l.) the angel
fish (Squatina). -- Mermaid's glove
(Zo\'94l.), a British branched sponge somewhat
resembling a glove. -- Mermaid's head
(Zo\'94l.), a European spatangoid sea urchin
(Echinocardium cordatum) having some resemblance to a
skull. -- Mermaid weed (Bot.), an
aquatic herb with dentate or pectinate leaves (Proserpinaca
palustris and P. pectinacea).
Mer"man (?), n.; pl.
Mermen (. The male
corresponding to mermaid; a sea man, or man
fish.
Mer"o*blast (?), n. [Gr. -blast.] (Biol.) An ovum,
as that of a mammal, only partially composed of germinal matter,
that is, consisting of both a germinal portion and an albuminous
or nutritive one; -- opposed to holoblast.
Mer`o*blas"tic (?), a.
(Biol.) Consisting only in part of germinal
matter; characterized by partial segmentation only; as,
meroblastic ova, in which a portion of the yolk only
undergoes fission; meroblastic segmentation; -- opposed
to holoblastic.
Me"ro*cele (?), n. [Gr. (Med.) Hernia in the
thigh; femoral hernia .
Mer`o*is"tic (?), a. [Gr. (Zo\'94l.) Applied to
the ovaries of insects when they secrete vitelligenous cells, as
well as ova.
Me*rop"i*dan (?), n. [L.
merops a bee-eating bird, Gr.
me`rops.] (Zo\'94l.) One of a
family of birds (Meropid\'91), including the
bee-eaters.
Me*rop"o*dite (?), n. [Gr. (Zo\'94l.) The
fourth joint of a typical appendage of Crustacea.
Mer*or`gan*i*za"tion (?), n.
[Gr. organization.]
Organization in part. [R.]
\'d8Me"ros (?), n. [NL., from
Gr. (Arch.) The plain surface
between the channels of a triglyph. [Written also
merus.]
Weale.
\'d8Me"ros, n. [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.) The proximal segment of the
hind limb; the thigh.
Mer"o*some (?), n. [Gr. -some body.] (Zo\'94l.)
One of the serial segments, or metameres, of which the
bodies of vertebrate and articulate animals are composed.
\'d8Mer`o*stom"a*ta (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A class of Arthropoda, allied to the
Crustacea. It includes the trilobites, Eurypteroidea, and
Limuloidea. All are extinct except the horseshoe crabs of the
last group. See Limulus.
\'d8M\'82`rou" (?), n.
[F.] (Zo\'94l.) See Jack, 8
(c).
Mer`o*vin"gi*an (?), a. [From
Merovaeus, the Latin name of a king of the
Franks.] Of or pertaining to the first Frankish
dynasty in Gaul or France. -- n. One
of the kings of this dynasty.
Mer"ri*ly (?), adv. [From
Merry.] In a merry manner; with mirth; with
gayety and laughter; jovially. See Mirth, and
Merry.
Merrily sing, and sport, and play.
Granville.
Mer"ri*make` (?), n. See
Merrymake, n.
Mer"ri*make`, v. i. See
Merrymake, v.
Gay.
Mer"ri*ment (?), n. Gayety,
with laughter; mirth; frolic. \'bdFollies and light
merriment.\'b8
Spenser.
Methought it was the sound
Of riot and ill-managed merriment.
Milton.
Mer"ri*ness, n. The quality or state of
being merry; merriment; mirth; gayety, with laughter.
Mer"ry (?), a.
[Compar. Merrier (?);
superl. Merriest.] [OE.
merie, mirie, murie, merry,
pleasant, AS. merge, myrige, pleasant; cf.
murge, adv.; prob. akin to OHG. murg,
short, Goth. gama\'a3rgjan to shorten; cf. L.
murcus a coward, who cuts off his thumb to escape
military service; the Anglo-Saxon and English meanings coming
from the idea of making the time seem short. Cf.
Mirth.] 1. Laughingly gay;
overflowing with good humor and good spirits; jovial; inclined to
laughter or play ; sportive.
They drank, and were merry with him.
Gen. xliii. 34.
I am never merry when I hear sweet music.
Shak.
<-- p. 915 -->
2. Cheerful; joyous; not sad; happy.
Is any merry
Jas. v. 13.
3. Causing laughter, mirth, gladness, or delight;
as, merry jest. \'bdMerry
wind and weather.\'b8
Spenser.
Merry dancers. See under Dancer.
-- Merry men, followers; retainers.
[Obs.]
His merie men commanded he
To make him bothe game and glee.
Chaucer.
-- To make merry, to be jovial; to indulge in
hilarity; to feast with mirth. Judg. ix. 27.
Syn. -- Cheerful; blithe; lively; sprightly; vivacious;
gleeful; joyous; mirthful; jocund; sportive; hilarious.
Mer"ry (?), n. (Bot.)
A kind of wild red cherry.
Mer"ry-an"drew (?), n. One
whose business is to make sport for others; a buffoon; a zany;
especially, one who attends a mountebank or quack doctor.
Mer"ry-go`-round" (?), n. Any
revolving contrivance for affording amusement; esp., a ring of
flying hobbyhorses.
Mer"ry*make` (?), n. Mirth;
frolic; a meeting for mirth; a festival. [Written
also merrimake.]
Mer"ry*make`, v. i. To make merry; to be
jolly; to feast. [Written also
merrimake.]
Mer"ry*mak`er (?), n. One who
makes merriment or indulges in conviviality; a jovial
comrade.
Mer"ry*mak`ing (?), a. Making
or producing mirth; convivial; jolly.
Mer"ry*mak`ing, n. The act of making
merry; conviviality; merriment; jollity.
Wordsworth.
Mer"ry*meet`ing (?), n. A
meeting for mirth.
Mer"ry*thought` (?), n. The
forked bone of a fowl's breast; -- called also
wishbone. See Furculum.
Mer"sion (?), n. [L.
mersio. See Merge.]
Immersion [R.]
Barrow.
Me*ru"li*dan (?), n. [L.
merula, merulus, blackbird. See
Merle.] (Zo\'94l.) A bird of the
Thrush family.
\'d8Me"rus (?), n. [NL.]
(Arch.) See Meros.
Mer"vaille` (?), n.
Marvel. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mes- (?). See Meso-.
\'d8Me"sa (?), [Sp.]
A high tableland; a plateau on a hill.
[Southwestern U.S.]
Bartlett.
Mes*ac"o*nate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of mesaconic acid.
Mes`a*con"ic (?), a.
[Mes- + -aconic, as in
citraconic.] (Chem.) Pertaining
to, or designating, one of several isomeric acids obtained from
citric acid.
Mes"ad (?), adv. Same as
Mesiad.
Mes"al (?), a. Same as
Mesial.
\'d8M\'82`sal`li`ance" (?), n.
[F.] A marriage with a person of inferior social
position; a misalliance.
Mes"al*ly (?), adv. Same as
Mesially.
Mes`a*m (?), n.
[Mes- + am.]
(Biol.) One of a class of independent, isolated
cells found in the mesoderm, while the germ layers are undergoing
differentiation.
Mes`a*ra"ic (?), a. [Gr. (Anat.)
Mesenteric.
Mes`a*ti*ce*phal"ic (?), a.
[Gr. midmost + E. cephalic.]
(Anat.) Having the ratio of the length to the
breadth of the cranium a medium one; neither brachycephalic nor
dolichocephalic.
Mes`a*ti*ceph"a*lous (?), a.
(Anat.) Mesaticephalic.
\'d8Mes*cal" (?), n.
[Sp.] A distilled liquor prepared in Mexico from
a species of agave. See Agave.
\'d8Mes`dames" (F. ?, E. ?), n.,
pl. of Madame and Madam.
Me*seems" (?), v. impers.
[imp. Meseemed
(?).] It seems to me.
[Poetic]
Me"sel (?), n. [See
Measle.] A leper. [Obs.]
Me"sel*ry (?), n.
Leprosy. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
\'d8Me*sem`bry*an"the*mum (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Bot.) A genus of herbaceous or suffruticose
plants, chiefly natives of South Africa. The leaves are opposite,
thick, and f
Mes`en*ce*phal"ic (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the mesencephalon or
midbrain.
\'d8Mes`en*ceph"a*lon (?), n.
[NL. See Meso- and Encephalon.]
(Anat.) The middle segment of the brain; the
midbrain. Sometimes abbreviated to mesen. See
Brain.
\'d8Mes*en"chy*ma (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. -enchyma, as in E.
parenchyma.] (Biol.) The part of
the mesoblast which gives rise to the connective tissues and
blood.
Mes`en*ter"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
m\'82sent\'82rique.] (Anat.)
Pertaining to a mesentery; mesaraic.
\'d8Mes*en"te*ron (?), n. [NL.
See Meso-, and Enteron.]
(Anat.) All that part of the alimentary canal
which is developed from the primitive enteron and is lined with
hypoblast. It is distinguished from the stomod, a
part at the anterior end of the canal, including the cavity of
the mouth, and the proctod, a part at the
posterior end, which are formed by invagination and are lined
with epiblast.
Mes"en*ter*y (?; 277), n. [Gr.
m\'82sent\'8are.]
1. (Anat.) The membranes, or one of the
membranes (consisting of a fold of the peritoneum and inclosed
tissues), which connect the intestines and their appendages with
the dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity. The mesentery proper is
connected with the jejunum and ilium, the other mesenteries being
called mesoc, mesocolon,
mesorectum, etc.
2. (Zo\'94l.) One of the vertical
muscular radiating partitions which divide the body cavity of
Anthozoa into chambers.
Mes`e*ra"ic (?), a.
(Anat.) Mesaraic.
Mes*eth"moid (?), a.
[Mes- + ethmoid.]
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the middle of the
ethmoid region or ethmoid bone. -- n.
(Anat.) The median vertical plate, or median
element, of the ethmoid bone.
Mesh (?), n. [AS.
masc, max, m; akin to D.
maas, masche, OHG. masca, Icel.
m\'94skvi; cf. Lith. mazgas a knot,
megsti to weave nets, to knot.] 1.
The opening or space inclosed by the threads of a net
between knot and knot, or the threads inclosing such a space;
network; a net.
A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men.
Shak.
2. (Gearing) The engagement of the teeth
of wheels, or of a wheel and rack.
Mesh stick, a stick on which the mesh is
formed in netting.
Mesh, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Meshed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Meshing.] To catch in a mesh.
Surrey.
Mesh, v. i. (Gearing) To
engage with each other, as the teeth of wheels.
Meshed (?), a. Mashed;
brewed. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mesh"y (?), a. Formed with
meshes; netted.
Mes"i*ad (?), adv. [Gr. ad to.] (Anat.)
Toward, or on the side toward, the mesial plane; mesially;
-- opposed to laterad.
Me"sial (?; 277), a. [Gr. (Anat.) Middle; median; in, or in
the region of, the mesial plane; internal; -- opposed to
lateral.
Mesial plane. (Anat.) See
Meson.
Me"sial*ly, adv. (Anat.) In,
near, or toward, the mesial plane; mesiad.
Mes"i*tyl (?), n. (Chem.)
A hypothetical radical formerly supposed to exist in mesityl
oxide.
Mesityl oxide (Chem.), a volatile
liquid having the odor of peppermint, obtained by certain
dehydrating agents from acetone; -- formerly called also
dumasin.
Me*sit"y*le*nate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of mesitylenic acid.
Me*sit"y*lene (?), n.
(Chem.) A colorless, fragrant liquid,
C6H3(CH3)3, of the benzene series of
hydrocarbons, obtained by distilling acetone with sulphuric
acid. -- Me*sit`y*len"ic (#),
a.
Me*sit"y*lol (?), n.
[Mesitylene + -ol.]
(Chem.) A crystalline substance obtained from
mesitylene.
Mes"lin (? , n. See
Maslin.
Mes`mer*ee" (?), n. A person
subjected to mesmeric influence; one who is mesmerized.
[R.]
{ Mes*mer"ic (?), Mes*mer"ic*al
(?), } a. [Cf. F.
mesm\'82rique.] Of, pertaining to, or
induced by, mesmerism; as, mesmeric
sleep.
Mes"mer*ism (?), n. [From
Mesmer, who first brought it into notice at Vienna,
about 1775: cf. F. mesm\'82risme.] The art
of inducing an extraordinary or abnormal state of the nervous
system, in which the actor claims to control the actions, and
communicate directly with the mind, of the recipient. See
Animal magnetism, under Magnetism.
Mes"mer*ist, n. One who practices, or
believes in, mesmerism.
Mes`mer*i*za"tion (?), n. The
act of mesmerizing; the state of being mesmerized.
Mes"mer*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Mesmerized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mesmerizing
(?).] To bring into a state of mesmeric
sleep.
Mes"mer*i`zer (?), n. One who
mesmerizes.
Mesne (?), a. [Cf.
Mean intermediate.] (Law) Middle;
intervening; as, a mesne lord, that is, a lord who
holds land of a superior, but grants a part of it to another
person, in which case he is a tenant to the superior,
but lord or superior to the second grantee, and hence is
called the mesne lord.
Mesne process, intermediate process; process
intervening between the beginning and end of a suit, sometimes
understood to be the whole process preceding the execution.
Blackstone. Burrill.
-- Mesne profits, profits of premises during the time
the owner has been wrongfully kept out of the possession of his
estate.
Burrill.
{ Mes"o- (?), Mes- (?)
}. [Gr. A combining
form denoting in the middle, intermediate;
specif. (Chem.), denoting a type of
hydrocarbons which are regarded as methenyl
derivatives. Also used adjectively.
<-- in Chem., now used differently, for optical isomers -->
\'d8Mes`o*a"ri*um (?), n. [NL.,
from Gr.
(Anat.) The fold of peritoneum which suspends the
ovary from the dorsal wall of the body cavity.<-- = now
mesovarium. Entry under mesovarium is not cross-referenced to
this entry. ??? -->
Mes"o*blast (?), n.
[Meso- + -blast.]
(Biol.) (a) The mesoderm.
(b) The cell nucleus; mesoplast.
Mes`o*blas"tic (?), a.
(Biol.) Relating to the mesoblast; as, the
mesoblastic layer.
Mes`o*bran"chi*al (?), a.
[Meso- + branchial.]
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to a region of the
carapace of a crab covering the middle branchial region.
\'d8Mes`o*bron"chi*um (?), n.;
pl. Mesobronchia (#). [NL.
See Meso-, and Bronchia.]
(Anat.) The main bronchus of each lung.
\'d8Mes`o*c\'91"cum (?), n.
(Anat.) [NL. See Meso-, and
C\'91cum.] The fold of peritoneum attached to
the c\'91cum. -- Mes`o*c\'91"cal
(#), a.
Mes"o*carp (?), n.
[Meso- + Gr. (Bot.)
The middle layer of a pericarp which consists of three
distinct or dissimilar layers.
Gray.
Mes`o*ce*phal"ic (?), a.
[Meso- + cephalic.]
(Anat.) (a) Of or pertaining to, or in
the region of, the middle of the head; as, the
mesocephalic flexure. (b)
Having the cranial cavity of medium capacity; neither
megacephalic nor microcephalic. (c) Having
the ratio of the length to the breadth of the cranium a medium
one; mesaticephalic.
\'d8Mes`o*ceph"a*lon (?), n.
[NL. See Meso-, and Cephalon.]
(Anat.) The pons Varolii.
Mes`o*ceph"a*lous (?), a.
(Anat.) Mesocephalic.
{ Mes`o*c\'d2"le (?),
\'d8Mes`o*c\'d2"li*a (?), } n.
[NL. mesocoelia. See Meso-, and
C\'d2lia.] (Anat.) The cavity of
the mesencephalon; the iter.
Mes`o*co"lon (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. m\'82soc\'93lon.] (Anat.) The
fold of peritoneum, or mesentery, attached to the colon. --
Mes`o*col"ic (#),
a.
Mes`o*cor"a*coid (?), n.
[Meso- + coracoid.]
(Anat.) A process from the middle of the coracoid
in some animals.
{ Mes`o*cu*ne"i*form (?),
Mes`o*cu"ni*form (?), } n.
[Meso- + cuneiform,
cuniform.] (Anat.) One of the
bones of the tarsus. See 2d Cuneiform.
Mes"o*derm (?), n.
[Meso- + Gr. (Biol.)
(a) The layer of the blastoderm, between the
ectoderm and endoderm; mesoblast. See Illust. of
Blastoderm and Ectoderm. (b)
The middle body layer in some invertebrates.
(c) The middle layer of tissue in some vegetable
structures.
Mes`o*der"mal (?), a.
(Biol.) Pertaining to, or derived from, the
mesoderm; as, mesodermal tissues.
Mes`o*der"mic (?), a. Same as
Mesodermal.
Mes"o*dont (?), a.
[Meso- + Gr.
(Anat.) Having teeth of moderate size.
\'d8Mes`o*gas"ter (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Anat.)
The fold of peritoneum connecting the stomach with the
dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity; the mesogastrium.
Mes`o*gas"tric (?), a.
[Meso- + gastric.]
1. (Anat.) (a) Of or pertaining
to the middle region of the abdomen, or of the stomach.
(b) Of or pertaining to the mesogaster.
2. (Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the
middle gastric lobe of the carapace of a crab.
\'d8Mes`o*gas"tri*um (?), n.
[NL. See Mesogaster.] (Anat.)
(a) The umbilical region. (b)
The mesogaster.
\'d8Mes`o*gl (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) A thin gelatinous tissue separating
the ectoderm and endoderm in certain c\'d2lenterates. --
Mes`o*gl (#),
a.
Me*sog"na*thous (?), a.
[Meso- + Gr. (Anat.)
Having the jaws slightly projecting; between prognathous and
orthognathous. See Gnathic index, under
Gnathic.
\'d8Mes`o*he"par (?), n. [NL.
See Meso-, and Hepar.] (Anat.)
A fold of the peritoneum connecting the liver with the
dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity.
\'d8Mes`o*hip"pus (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Paleon.)
An extinct mammal of the Horse family, but not larger than a
sheep, and having three toes on each foot.
Mes"o*labe (?), n. [L.
mesolabium, Gr.
An instrument of the ancients for finding two mean
proportionals between two given lines, required in solving the
problem of the duplication of the cube.
Brande & C.
Mes"ole (?), n. [Gr. (Min.) Same as
Thomsonite.
Mes"o*lite (?; 277), n.
[Meso- + -lite.]
(Min.) A zeolitic mineral, grayish white or
yellowish, occuring in delicate groups of crystals, also fibrous
massive. It is a hydrous silicate of alumina, lime, and
soda.
Mes`o*log"a*rithm (?), n.
[Meso- + logarithm : cf. F.
m\'82sologarithme.] (Math.) A
logarithm of the cosine or cotangent. [Obs.]
Kepler. Hutton.
\'d8Mes`o*me"tri*um (?), n.
[NL. See Meso-, and Metrium.]
(Anat.) The fold of the peritoneum supporting the
oviduct.
Mes`o*my*o"di*an (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) A bird having a mesomyodous
larynx.
Mes`o*my"o*dous (?), a.
[Meso- + Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) Having the intrinsic muscles of the
larynx attached to the middle of the semirings.
\'d8Mes"on (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr.
(Anat.) The mesial plane dividing the body of an
animal into similar right and left halves. The line in which it
meets the dorsal surface has been called the
dorsimeson, and the corresponding ventral edge the
ventrimeson.
B. G. Wilder.
Mes`o*na"sal (?), a.
[Meso- + nasal.]
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the middle portion of
the nasal region.
Mes`o*neph"ric (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the mesonephros;
as, the mesonephric, or Wolffian, duct.
\'d8Mes`o*neph"ros (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Anat.) The middle one of the three pairs of
embryonic renal organs developed in most vertebrates; the
Wolffian body.
\'d8Mes`o*no"tum (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Zo\'94l.)
The dorsal portion of the mesothorax of insects.
\'d8Mes`o*phl (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Bot.) The middle bark of a tree; the green layer
of bark, usually soon covered by the outer or corky layer, and
obliterated.
\'d8Me*soph"ry*on (?), n. [NL.,
from Gr. (Anat.) See
Glabella.
\'d8Mes`o*phyl"lum (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Bot.) The parenchyma of a leaf between the skin
of the two surfaces.
Gray.
Mes"o*plast (?), n.
[Meso- + -plast.]
(Biol.) The nucleus of a cell; mesoblast.
Agassix.
<-- p. 916 -->
Mes`o*po"di*al (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the mesopodialia or
to the parts of the limbs to which they belong.
\'d8Mes`o*po`di*a"le (?), n.;
pl. Mesopodialia (#). [NL.,
fr. Gr.
(Anat.) One of the bones of either the carpus or
tarsus.
\'d8Mes`o*po"di*um (?), n. [NL.
See Mesopodiale.] (Zo\'94l.) The
middle portion of the foot in the Gastropoda and Pteropoda.
\'d8Me*sop`te*ryg"i*um (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Anat.) The middle one of the three principal
basal cartilages in the fins of fishes. --
\'d8Me*sop`ter*yg"i*al (#),
a.
\'d8Me*sor"chi*um (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Anat.)
The fold of peritoneum which attaches the testis to the
dorsal wall of the body cavity or scrotal sac.
\'d8Mes`o*rec"tum (?), n.
[Meso- + rectum.]
(Anat.) The fold of peritoneum, or mesentery,
attached to the rectum. --
Mes`o*rec"tal (#),
a.
Mes"o*rhine (?), a.
[Meso- + Gr.
(Anat.) Having the nose of medium width; between
leptorhine and platyrhine.
\'d8Mes`o*sau"ri*a (?), n. Same
as Mosasauria.
\'d8Mes`o*scap"u*la (?), n.
[Meso- + scapula.]
(Anat.) A process from the middle of the scapula
in some animals; the spine of the scapula.
Mes`o*scap"u*lar (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
mesoscapula.
\'d8Mes`o*scu"tum (?), n.
[Meso- + scutum.]
(Zo\'94l.) The scutum or dorsal plate of the
middle thoracic segment of an insect. See Illust. of
Butterfly.
Mes"o*seme (?), a.
[Meso- + Gr. m\'82sos\'8ame.] (Anat.) Having
a medium orbital index; having orbits neither broad nor narrow;
between megaseme and microseme.
Mes`o*sid"er*ite (?), n.
[Meso- + siderite.]
(Min.) See the Note under
Meteorite.
Mes"o*sperm (?), n.
[Meso- + Gr. m\'82sosperme.] (Bot.) A
membrane of a seed. See Secundine.
Mes"o*state (?), n.
[Meso- + Gr.
(Physiol.) A product of metabolic action.
mesostate is either an
anastate or katastate, according as it is
formed by an anabolic or katabolic process. See
Metabolism.
Mes`o*ster"nal (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
mesosternum.
\'d8Mes`o*ster"num (?), n.
[Meso- + sternum.]
1. (Anat.) The middle portion, or body,
of the sternum.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The ventral piece of the
middle segment of the thorax in insects.
Mes`o*tar*tar"ic (?), a.
[Meso- + tartaric.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid
called also inactive tartaric acid.
\'d8Mes`o*the"ca (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Zo\'94l.)
The middle layer of the gonophore in the Hydrozoa.
\'d8Mes`o*the"li*um (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr. thelium.]
(Biol.) Epithelial mesoderm; a layer of cuboidal
epithelium cells, formed from a portion of the mesoderm during
the differetiation of the germ layers. It constitutes the
boundary of the c
Mes`o*tho*rac"ic (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the
mesothorax.
Mes`o*tho"rax (?), n.
[Meso- + thorax: cf. F.
m\'82sothorax.] (Zo\'94l.) The
middle segment of the thorax in insects. See Illust.
of Coleoptera.
Mes"o*tro`chal (?), a.
[Meso- + Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) Having the middle of the body
surrounded by bands of cilia; -- said of the larv\'91 of certain
marine annelids.
Mes"o*type (?), n.
[Meso- + -type: cf. F.
m\'82sotype.] (Min.) An old term
covering natrolite or soda mesolite, scolecite or
lime mesotype, and mesolite or lime-soda
mesotype.
\'d8Mes`o*va"ri*um (?), n. [NL.
See Meso-, and Ovary.] (Anat.)
The fold of peritoneum connecting the ovary with the wall of
the abdominal cavity.
Mes*ox"a*late (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of mesoxalic acid.
Mes`ox*al"ic (?), a.
[Mes- + oxalic.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid,
CH2O2(CO2H)2, obtained from amido malonic
acid.
\'d8Mes`o*zo"a (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Mesozoic.] (Zo\'94l.) A group
of very lowly organized, wormlike parasites, including the
Dicyemata. They are found in cephalopods. See
Dicyemata.
Mes`o*zo"ic (?), a.
[Meso- + Gr.
(Geol.) Belonging, or relating, to the secondary
or reptilian age, or the era between the Paleozoic and Cenozoic.
See Chart of Geology.
Mes`o*zo"ic, n. The Mesozoic age or
formation.
Mes*prise" (?), n. [OF.
mespris, F. m\'82pris. See
Misprize.] 1. Contempt; scorn.
[Obs.]
2. [Perh. for F. m\'82prise mistake. Cf.
Misprision.] Misadventure; ill-success.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
{ Mes*qui"te (?), Mes*quit"
(?) }, n. [Sp.
mezquite; said to be a Mexican Indian word.]
(Bot.) A name for two trees of the southwestern
part of North America, the honey mesquite, and screw-pod
mesquite.
Honey mesquite. See Algaroba
(b). -- Screw-pod mesquite, a
smaller tree (Prosopis pubescens), having spiral pods
used as fodder and sometimes as food by the Indians. --
Mesquite grass, a rich native grass in Western
Texas (Bouteloua oligostachya, and other species); --
so called from its growing in company with the mesquite tree; --
called also muskit grass, grama
grass.
Mess (?), n. Mass; church
service. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mess (?), n. [OE.
mes, OF. mets, LL. missum, p. p.
of mittere to put, place (e. g.,
on the table), L. mittere to send. See
Mission, and cf. Mass religious service.]
1. A quantity of food set on a table at one time;
provision of food for a person or party for one meal; as, a
mess of pottage; also, the food given to a beast at
one time.
At their savory dinner set
Of herbs and other country messes.
Milton.
2. A number of persons who eat together, and for
whom food is prepared in common; especially, persons in the
military or naval service who eat at the same table; as, the
wardroom mess.
Shak.
3. A set of four; -- from the old practice of
dividing companies into sets of four at dinner.
[Obs.]
Latimer.
4. The milk given by a cow at one milking.
[U.S.]
5. [Perh. corrupt. fr. OE. mesh for
mash: cf. muss.] A disagreeable
mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from
blundering or from misunderstanding; as, he made a
mess of it. [Colloq.]
Mess (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Messed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Messing.] To
take meals with a mess; to belong to a mess; to eat (with
others); as, I mess with the wardroom
officers.
Marryat.
Mess, v. t. To supply with a mess.
Mes"sage (?; 48), n. [F., fr.
LL. missaticum, fr. L. mittere,
missum, to send. See Mission, and cf.
Messenger.] 1. Any notice, word, or
communication, written or verbal, sent from one person to
another.
Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee.
Judg. iii. 20.
2. Hence, specifically, an official communication,
not made in person, but delivered by a messenger; as, the
President's message.
Message shell. See Shell.
Mes"sage, v. t. To bear as a
message. [Obs.]
Mes"sage, n. [OE., fr. OF.
message, fr. LL. missaticus. See 1st
Message.] A messenger.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mes"sa*ger (?), n. [OE.]
A messenger. [Obs.]
Mes"sen*ger (?), n. [OE.
messager, OF. messagier, F.
messager. See Message.] 1.
One who bears a message; the bearer of a verbal or written
communication, notice, or invitation, from one person to another,
or to a public body; specifically, an office servant who bears
messages.
2. One who, or that which, foreshows, or
foretells.
Yon gray lines
That fret the clouds are messengers of day.
Shak.
3. (Naut.) A hawser passed round the
capstan, and having its two ends lashed together to form an
endless rope or chain; -- formerly used for heaving in the
cable.
4. (Law) A person appointed to perform
certain ministerial duties under bankrupt and insolvent laws,
such as to take charge og the estate of the bankrupt or
insolvent.
Bouvier. Tomlins.
Syn. -- Carrier; intelligencer; courier; harbinger;
forerunner; precursor; herald.
Messenger bird, the secretary bird, from its
swiftness.
Mes"set (?), n. A dog.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Mes*si"ad (?), n. A German epic
poem on the Messiah, by Klopstock.
Mes*si"ah (?), n. [Heb.
m\'besh\'c6akh anointed, fr. m\'beshakh to
anoint. Cf. Messias.] The expected king and
deliverer of the Hebrews; the Savior; Christ.
And told them the Messiah now was born.
Milton.
Mes*si"ah*ship, n. The state or office
of the Messiah.
Mes`si*an"ic (?), a. Of or
relating to the Messiah; as, the Messianic office or
character.
Mes*si"as (?), n. [LL., fr. Gr.
Messiah.] The Messiah.
I know that Messias cometh, which is called
Christ.
John iv. 25.
\'d8Mes`si`dor" (F. ?; E. ?), n.
[F., fr. L. messis harvest.] The tenth
month of the French republican calendar dating from September 22,
1792. It began June 19, and ended July 18. See
Vend\'90miaire.
Mes"sieurs (?; F. ?; 277), n. pl.
[F.; pl. of monsieur.] Sirs;
gentlemen; -- abbreviated to Messrs., which is used as
the plural of Mr.
Mes`si*nese" (? , a. Of
or pertaining to Messina, or its inhabitans.
Mess"mate` (?), n. An associate
in a mess.
Mes"suage (?; 48), n. [Cf. OF.
mesuage, masnage, LL.
messuagium, mansionaticum, fr. L.
mansio, -onis, a staying, remaining,
dwelling, fr. manere, mansum, to stay,
remain, E. mansion, manse.]
(Law) A dwelling house, with the adjacent
buildings and curtilage, and the adjoining lands appropriated to
the use of the household.
Cowell. Bouvier.
They wedded her to sixty thousand pounds,
To lands in Kent, and messuages in York.
Tennyson.
Mest (?), a. Most.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mes*tee" (?), n. [See
Mestizo.] The offspring of a white person and
a quadroon; -- so called in the West Indies.
[Written also mustee.]
Mes"ter (?), n. [Obs.]
See Mister, a trade.
Mes*ti"no (?), n.; pl.
Mestinos (. See
Mestizo.
Mes*ti"zo (?), n.; pl.
Mestizos (#). [Sp.
mestizo; akin to OF. mestis, F.
m\'82tis; all fr. (assumed) LL. mixtitius,
fr. L. mixtus mixed, p. p. of miscere to
mix. See Mix, and cf. Mestee,
M\'90tif, M\'90tis, Mustee.]
The offspring of an Indian or a negro and a European or
person of European stock. [Spanish America]
Mestizo wool, wool imported from South
America, and produced by mixed breeds of sheep.
Mest"ling (?), n. A kind of
brass. See Maslin. [Obs.]
\'d8Me*sym"ni*cum (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. Hymn.] (Anc. Poetry) A repetition
at the end of a stanza.
Met (?), imp. & p. p. of
Meet.
Met, obs. imp. & p. p. of Mete,
to measure.
Chapman.
Met, obs. p. p. of Mete, to
dream.
Chaucer.
{ Met"a- (?), Met- (?)
}. [Gr. mid with, G. mit, Goth. mi\'ed,
E. mid, in midwife.] 1.
A prefix meaning between, with,
after, behind, over,
about, reversely; as,
metachronism, the error of placing after the correct
time; metaphor, lit., a carrying over;
metathesis, a placing reversely.
2. (Chem.) A prefix denoting: (a)
Other; duplicate, corresponding
to; resembling; hence, metameric;
as, meta-arabinic, metaldehyde.
(b) (Organic Chem.) That two replacing
radicals, in the benzene nucleus, occupy the relative
positions of 1 and 3, 2 and 4, 3 and 5, 4 and 6, 5 and 1,
or 6 and 2; as, metacresol, etc. See
Ortho-, and Para-. (c)
(Inorganic Chem.) Having less than the
highest number of hydroxyl groups; -- said of acids;
as, metaphosphoric acid. Also used
adjectively.
<-- 3. A prefix meaning at a level above, as
metaphysics, metalanguage. -->
Me*tab"a*sis (?), n.; pl.
Metabases (#). [NL., fr. Gr.
1. (Rhet.) A transition from one subject
to another.
2. (Med.) Same as
Metabola.
{ \'d8Me*tab"o*la (?),
\'d8Me*tab"o*le (?), } n.
[NL., from Gr.
(Med.) A change or mutation; a change of disease,
symptoms, or treatment.
{ \'d8Me*tab"o*la (?),
\'d8Met`a*bo"li*a (?), } n.
pl. [NL. See 1st Metabola.]
(Zo\'94l.) A comprehensive group of insects,
including those that undegro a metamorphosis.
Met`a*bo"li*an (?), n. [See
Metabola.] (Zo\'94l.) An insect
which undergoes a metamorphosis.
Met`a*bol"ic (?), a. [Gr. Metabola.] 1. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to metamorphosis; pertaining to, or
involving, change.
2. (Physiol.) Of or pertaining to
metabolism; as, metabolic activity;
metabolic force.
\'d8Met`a*bol"i*sis (?), n.
[NL.] Metabolism. [R.]
Me*tab"o*lism (?), n.
(Physiol.) The act or process, by which living
tissues or cells take up and convert into their own proper
substance the nutritive material brought to them by the blood, or
by which they transform their cell protoplasm into simpler
substances, which are fitted either for excretion or for some
special purpose, as in the manufacture of the digestive ferments.
Hence, metabolism may be either constructive
(anabolism), or destructive
(katabolism).<-- now sp. catabolism -->
Me*tab"o*lite (?), n. (Physiol
Chem.) A product of metabolism; a substance produced
by metabolic action, as urea.
Me*tab"o*lize (?), v. t. & i.
(Physiol.) To change by a metabolic process. See
Metabolism.
Met`a*bran"chi*al (?), a.
[Meta- + branchial.]
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the lobe of the
carapace of crabs covering the posterior branchi\'91.
Met`a*car"pal (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the metacarpus.
-- n. A metacarpal bone.
Met`a*car"pus (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr.
(Anat.) That part of the skeleton of the hand or
forefoot between the carpus and phalanges. In man it consists of
five bones. See Illust. of
Artiodactyla.
{ Met`a*cen"ter (?) -tre
}
, n. [Pref. meta- +
center.] (Hydrostatics) The
point of intersection of a vertical line through the center of
gravity of the fluid displaced by a floating body which is tipped
through a small angle from its position of equilibrium, and the
inclined line which was vertical through the center of gravity of
the body when in equilibrium.
Me*tac"e*tone (?), n. [Pref.
met- + acetone.] (Chem.)
A colorless liquid of an agreeable odor,
C6H10O, obtained by distilling a mixture of
sugar and lime; -- so called because formerly regarded as a
polymeric modification of acetone.
Met`a*chlo"ral (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + chloral.] (Chem.)
A white, amorphous, insoluble substance regarded as a
polymeric variety of chloral.
Me*tach"ro*nism (?), n. [Gr.
m\'82tachronisme.] An error
committed in chronology by placing an event after its real
time.
\'d8Met`a*chro"sis (?), n.
[NL., from Gr.
(Biol.) The power og changing color at will by
the expansion of special pigment cells, under nerve influence, as
seen in many reptiles, fishes, etc.
Cope.
Met`a*cin"na*bar*ite (?), n.
[Pref. meta- + cinnabar.]
(Min.) Sulphide of mercury in isometric form and
black in color.
Met"a*cism (?), n. [L.
metacismus, Gr. A defect in pronouncing the letter m,
or a too frequent use of it.
Met`a*cro"le*in (?), n. [Pref.
met- + acrolein.] (Chem.)
A polymeric modification of acrolein obtained by heating it
with caustic potash. It is a crystalline substance having an
aromatic odor.
\'d8Met`a*cro"mi*on (?), n.
[NL.] (Anat.) A process projecting
backward and downward from the acromion of the scapula of some
mammals.
Met`a*dis*coid"al (?), a.
[Meta- + discoidal.]
(Anat.) Discoidal by derivation; -- applied
especially to the placenta of man and apes, because it is
supposed to have been derived from a diffused placenta.
Met`a*gas"tric (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + gastric.]
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the two posterior
gastric lobes of the carapace of crabs.
Met"age (?; 48), n. [From
Mete, v.] 1. Measurement,
especially of coal.
De Foe.
2. Charge for, or price of, measuring.
Simmonds.
Met`a*gen"e*sis (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + genesis.] 1.
(Biol.) The change of form which one animal
species undergoes in a series of successively produced
individuals, extending from the one developed from the ovum to
the final perfected individual. Hence, metagenesis involves the
production of sexual individuals by nonsexual means, either
directly or through intervening sexless generations. Opposed to
monogenesis. See Alternate generation,
under Generation.
2. (Biol.) Alternation of sexual and
asexual or gemmiparous generations; -- in distinction from
heterogamy.
<-- p. 917 -->
Met`a*ge*net"ic (?), a.
(Biol.) Of or pertaining to metagenesis.
Met`a*gen"ic (?), a.
(Biol.) Metagenetic.
Me*tag"na*thous (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + Gr. (Zo\'94l.)
Cross-billed; -- said of certain birds, as the
crossbill.
Met`a*gram"ma*tism (?), n.
Anagrammatism.
Met`a*graph"ic (?), a. By or
pertaining to metagraphy.
Me*tag"ra*phy (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + -graphy.] The art or act
of rendering the letters of the alphabet of one language into the
possible equivalents of another; transliteration.
Stormonth.
Met"al (? , n. [F.
m\'82tal, L. metallum metal, mine, Gr. Mettle,
Medal.] 1. (Chem.) An
elementary substance, as sodium, calcium, or copper, whose oxide
or hydroxide has basic rather than acid properties, as contrasted
with the nonmetals, or metalloids. No sharp line can be drawn
between the metals and nonmetals, and certain elements partake of
both acid and basic qualities, as chromium, manganese, bismuth,
etc.
2. Ore from which a metal is derived; -- so called
by miners.
Raymond.
3. A mine from which ores are taken.
[Obs.]
Slaves . . . and persons condemned to metals.
Jer. Taylor.
4. The substance of which anything is made;
material; hence, constitutional disposition; character;
temper.
Not till God make men of some other metal than
earth.
Shak.
5. Courage; spirit; mettle. See
Mettle.
Shak.
Skeat.
6. The broken stone used in macadamizing roads and
ballasting railroads.
7. The effective power or caliber of guns carried
by a vessel of war.
8. Glass in a state of fusion.
Knight.
9. pl. The rails of a railroad.
[Eng.]
Base metal (Chem.), any one of the
metals, as iron, lead, etc., which are readily tarnished or
oxidized, in contrast with the noble metals. In general, a metal
of small value, as compared with gold or silver. --
Fusible metal (Metal.), a very fusible
alloy, usually consisting of bismuth with lead, tin, or
cadmium. -- Heavy metals (Chem.),
the metallic elements not included in the groups of the
alkalies, alkaline earths, or the earths; specifically, the heavy
metals, as gold, mercury, platinum, lead, silver, etc. --
Light metals (Chem.), the metallic
elements of the alkali and alkaline earth groups, as sodium,
lithium, calcium, magnesium, etc.; also, sometimes, the metals of
the earths, as aluminium. -- Muntz metal, an
alloy for sheathing and other purposes, consisting of about sixty
per cent of copper, and forty of zinc. Sometimes a little lead is
added. It is named from the inventor. -- Prince's
metal (Old Chem.), an alloy resembling
brass, consisting of three parts of copper to one of zinc; --
also called Prince Rupert's metal.
Met"al, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Metaled (? or
Metalled; p. pr. & vb. n. Metaling
or Metalling.] To cover with metal;
as, to metal a ship's bottom; to metal a
road.
Met`al*am*mo"ni*um (?), n.
[Metal + ammonium.]
(Chem.) A hypothetical radical derived from
ammonium by the substitution of metallic atoms in place of
hydrogen.
Met`al*bu"min (?), n. [Pref.
met- + albumin.] (Physiol.
Chem.) A form of albumin found in ascitic and certain
serous fluids. It is sometimes regarded as a mixture of albumin
and mucin.
Me*tal"de*hyde (?), n. [Pref.
met- + aldehyde.] (Chem.)
A white crystalline substance isomeric with, and obtained
from, acetic aldehyde by polymerization, and reconvertible into
the same.
\'d8Met`a*lep"sis (?), n.; pl.
Metalepses (#). [L., fr. Gr. (Rhet.)
The continuation of a trope in one word through a succession
of significations, or the union of two or more tropes of a
different kind in one word.
Met"a*lep`sy (?), n.
(Chem.) Exchange; replacement; substitution;
metathesis. [R.]
Met`a*lep"tic (?), a. [Gr.
1. Of or pertaining to a
metalepsis.
2. Transverse; as, the metaleptic
motion of a muscle.
3. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, concerned
in, or occurring by, metalepsy.
Met`a*lep"tic*al (?), a.
Metaleptic. --
Met`a*lep"tic*al*ly,
adv.
Me*tal"lic (?), a. [L.
metallicus, fr. metallum: cf. F.
m\'82tallique. See Metal.] 1.
Of or pertaining to a metal; of the nature of metal;
resembling metal; as, a metallic appearance; a
metallic alloy.
2. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or
characterized by, the essential and implied properties of a
metal, as contrasted with a nonmetal or metalloid; basic;
antacid; positive.<-- conductive of electricity is now one
of the most characteristic properties, and form cations by loss
of electrons -->
Metallic iron, iron in the state of the metal,
as distinquished from its ores, as magnetic iron. --
Metallic paper, paper covered with a thin solution
of lime, whiting, and size. When written upon with a pewter or
brass pencil, the lines can hardly be effaced. --
Metallic tinking (Med.), a sound heard
in the chest, when a cavity communicating with the air passages
contains both air and liquid.
Me*tal"lic*al (?), a. See
Metallic. [Obs.]
Me*tal"lic*ly (?), adv. In a
metallic manner; by metallic means.
Me*tal`li*fac"ture (?; 135), n.
[L. metallum metal + facere,
factum, to make.] The production and
working or manufacture of metals. [R.]
R. Park.
Met`al*lif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
metallifer; metallum metal +
ferre to bear: cf. F.
m\'82tallif\'8are.] Producing metals;
yielding metals.
Me*tal"li*form (?), a. [L.
metallum metal + -form: cf. F.
m\'82talliforme.] Having the form or
structure of a metal.
Met"al*line (?), a. [Cf. F.
m\'82tallin.] (Chem.) (a)
Pertaining to, or resembling, a metal; metallic; as,
metalline properties. (b)
Impregnated with metallic salts; chalybeate; as,
metalline water. [R.]
Met"al*line (? , n.
(Chem.) A substance of variable composition, but
resembling a soft, dark-colored metal, used in the bearings of
machines for obviating friction, and as a substitute for
lubricants.
Met"al*list (?), n. A worker in
metals, or one skilled in metals.
Met`al*li*za"tion (?), n. [Cf.
F. m\'82tallisation.] The act or process of
metallizing. [R.]
Met"al*lize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Metallized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Metallizing
(?).] [Cf. F.
m\'82talliser.] To impart metallic
properties to; to impregnate with a metal.
[R.]
Me*tal"lo*chrome (?), n. [See
Metallochromy.] A coloring produced by the
deposition of some metallic compound; specifically, the prismatic
tints produced by depositing a film of peroxide of lead on
polished steel by electricity.
Me*tal"lo*chro`my (?), n. [L.
metallum metal + Gr. The art or
process of coloring metals.
Me*tal"lo*graph (?), n. [L.
metallum metal + -graph.] A
print made by metallography.
Me*tal`lo*graph"ic (?), a.
Pertaining to, or by means of, metallography.
Met`al*log"ra*phist (?), n. One
who writes on the subject of metals.
Met`al*log"ra*phy (?), n. [L.
metallum metal + -graphy: cf. F.
m\'82tallographie.] 1. The science
or art of metals and metal working; also, a treatise on
metals.
2. A method of transferring impressions of the
grain of wood to metallic surfaces by chemical action.
Knight.
3. A substitute for lithography, in which metallic
plates are used instead of stone.
Knight.
Met"al*loid (?), n. [L.
metallum metal + -oid: cf. F.
m\'82tallo\'8bde.] (a) Formerly,
the metallic base of a fixed alkali, or alkaline earth; --
applied by Sir H. Davy to sodium, potassium, and some other
metallic substances whose metallic character was supposed to be
not well defined. (b) Now, one of several
elementary substances which in the free state are unlike metals,
and whose compounds possess or produce acid, rather than basic,
properties; a nonmetal; as, boron, carbon, phosphorus,
nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, chlorine, bromine, etc., are
metalloids.
Met"al*loid, a. 1. Having the
appearance of a metal.
2. (Chem.) Having the properties of a
nonmetal; nonmetallic; acid; negative.
Met`al*loid"al (?), a.
Metalloid.
Met`al*lor*gan"ic (?), a.
Metalorganic.
Me*tal`lo*ther"a*py (?), n. [L.
metallum metal + E. therapy.]
(Med.) Treatment of disease by applying metallic
plates to the surface of the body.
{ Met`al*lur"gic (?),
Met`al*lur"gic*al (?), } a.
[Cf. F. m\'82tallurgique.] Of or
pertaining to metallurgy.
Met"al*lur`gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82tallurgiste.] One who works in metals,
or prepares them for use; one who is skilled in metallurgy.
Met"al*lur`gy (?), n. [F.
m\'82tallurgie, fr. L. metallum metal, Gr.
Metal, and
Work.] The art of working metals,
comprehending the whole process of separating them from other
matters in the ore, smelting, refining, and parting them;
sometimes, in a narrower sense, only the process of extracting
metals from their ores.
Met"al*man (?), n.; pl.
Metalmen (. A worker in
metals.
Met`a*log"ic*al (?), a. Beyond
the scope or province of logic.
Met`al*or*gan"ic (?), a.
[Metal, L. metallum + E.
organic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to,
or denoting, any one of a series of compounds of certain metallic
elements with organic radicals; as, zinc methyl, sodium ethyl,
etc. [Written also
metallorganic.]
Met"a*mer (?), n. [See
Metamere.] (Chem.) Any one of
several metameric forms of the same substance, or of different
substances having the same composition; as, xylene has three
metamers, viz., orthoxylene, metaxylene, and
paraxylene.<-- = isomer -->
Met"a*mere (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + -mere.] (Biol.)
One of successive or homodynamous parts in animals and
plants; one of a series of similar parts that follow one another
in a vertebrate or articulate animal, as in an earthworm; a
segment; a somite. See Illust. of Loeven's
larva.
Met`a*mer"ic (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + Gr. 1.
(Chem.) Having the same elements united in the
same proportion by weight, and with the same molecular weight,
but possessing a different structure and different properties;
as, methyl ether and ethyl alcohol are metameric
compounds. See Isomeric.
2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to a
metamere or its formation; as, metameric
segmentation.
Met`a*mer"ic*al*ly, adv. In a metameric
manner.
Me*tam"er*ism (?), n. 1.
(Biol.) The symmetry of a metameric structure;
serial symmetry; the state of being made up of metameres.
2. (Chem.) The state or quality of being
metameric; also, the relation or condition of metameric
compounds.
Met`a*mor"phic (?), a. [See
Metamorphosis.] 1. Subject to
change; changeable; variable.
2. Causing a change of structure.
3. (Geol.) Pertaining to, produced by,
or exhibiting, certain changes which minerals or rocks may have
undergone since their original deposition; -- especially applied
to the recrystallization which sedimentary rocks have undergone
through the influence of heat and pressure, after which they are
called metamorphic rocks.
Met`a*mor"phism (?), n.
(Geol.) The state or quality of being
metamorphic; the process by which the material of rock masses has
been more or less recrystallized by heat, pressure, etc., as in
the change of sedimentary limestone to marble.
Murchison.
Met`a*mor"phist (?), n.
(Eccl.) One who believes that the body of Christ
was merged into the Deity when he ascended.
Met`a*mor"phize (?), v. t. To
metamorphose.
Met`a*mor"phose (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Metamorphosed
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Metamorphosing.] [Cf. F.
m\'82tamorphoser.] To change into a
different form; to transform; to transmute.
And earth was metamorphosed into man.
Dryden.
Met`a*mor"phose (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82tamorphose. See Metamorphosis.]
Same as Metamorphosis.
Met`a*mor"pho*ser (?), n. One
who metamorphoses. [R.]
Gascoigne.
Met`a*mor"pho*sic (?), a.
Changing the form; transforming. [R.]
Pownall.
Met`a*mor"pho*sis (?), n.; pl.
Metamorphoses (#). [L., fr. Gr.
1. Change of form, or structure;
transformation.
2. (Biol.) A change in the form or
function of a living organism, by a natural process of growth or
development; as, the metamorphosis of the yolk into
the embryo, of a tadpole into a frog, or of a bud into a
blossom. Especially, that form of sexual reproduction in
which an embryo undergoes a series of marked changes of external
form, as the chrysalis stage, pupa stage, etc., in insects. In
these intermediate stages sexual reproduction is usually
impossible, but they ultimately pass into final and sexually
developed forms, from the union of which organisms are produced
which pass through the same cycle of changes. See
Transformation.
3. (Physiol.) The change of material of
one kind into another through the agency of the living organism;
metabolism.
Vegetable metamorphosis (Bot.), the
doctrine that flowers are homologous with leaf buds, and that the
floral organs are transformed leaves.
\'d8Met`a*nau"pli*us (?), n.
[NL. See Meta-, and Nauplius.]
(Zo\'94l.) A larval crustacean in a stage
following the nauplius, and having about seven pairs of
appendages.
Met`a*ne*phrit"ic (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
metanephros.
\'d8Met`a*neph"ros (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Anat.) The most posterior of the three pairs of
embryonic renal organs developed in many vertebrates.
\'d8Met`a*no"tum (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Zo\'94l.)
The dorsal portion of the metaphorax of insects.
Met`an*ti*mo"nate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of metantimonic acid.
Met`an*ti*mon"ic (?), a. [Pref.
met- + antimonic.] (Chem.)
(a) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid
(formerly called antimonic acid) analogous to
metaphosphoric acid, and obtained as a white amorphous insoluble
substance, (HSbO3). (b)
Formerly, designating an acid, which is now properly called
pyroantimonic acid, and analogous to
pyrophosphoric acid.
Met`a*pec"tic (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + pectic.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, a supposed acid obtained from
pectin.
Met`a*pec"tin (?), n.
(Chem.) A substance obtained from, and
resembling, pectin, and occurring in overripe fruits.
Met`a*pep"tone (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + peptone.] (Physiol.
Chem.) An intermediate product formed in the gastric
digestion of albuminous matter.
Met"a*phor (?), n. [F.
m\'82taphore, L. metaphora, fr. Gr. meta` beyond, over +
fe`rein to bring, bear.] (Rhet.)
The transference of the relation between one set of objects
to another set for the purpose of brief explanation; a compressed
simile; e. g., the ship plows the sea. Abbott
& Seeley. \'bdAll the world's a stage.\'b8
Shak.
{ Met`a*phor"ic (?),
Met`a*phor"ic*al (?), } a.
[Gr. m\'82taphorique.] Of
or pertaining to metaphor; comprising a metaphor; not literal;
figurative; tropical; as, a metaphorical expression;
a metaphorical sense. --
Met`a*phor"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Met`a*phor"ic*al*ness, n.
Met"a*phor*ist (?), n. One who
makes metaphors.
Met`a*phos"phate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of metaphosphoric acid.
Met`a*phos*phor"ic (?), a.
[Pref. meta- + phosphoric.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a
monobasic acid, HPO3, analogous to nitric acid,
and, by heating phosphoric acid, obtained as a crystalline
substance, commonly called glacial phosphoric
acid.
Met"a*phrase (?), n. [Gr.
meta`frasis, from metafrazein to
paraphrase; meta` beyond, over + fra`zein
to speak: cf. F. m\'82taphrase.] 1.
A verbal translation; a version or translation from one
language into another, word for word; -- opposed to
paraphrase.
Dryden.
2. An answering phrase; repartee.
Mrs. Browning.
<-- p. 918 -->
Met"a*phrased (?), a.
Translated literally.
Me*taph"ra*sis (?), n. [NL. See
Metaphrase.] Metaphrase.
Met"a*phrast (?), n. [Gr. m\'82taphraste.] A literal
translator.
{ Met`a*phras"tic (?),
Met`a*phras"tic*al (?), } a.
[Gr. Close, or literal.
Met`a*phys"ic (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82taphysique.] See
Metaphysics.
Met`a*phys"ic, a. Metaphysical.
Met`a*phys"ic*al (?), a. [Cf.
F. m\'82taphysique. See Metaphysics.]
1. Of or pertaining to metaphysics.
2. According to rules or principles of metaphysics;
as, metaphysical reasoning.
3. Preternatural or supernatural.
[Obs.]
The golden round
*Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crowned withal.
Shak.
Met`a*phys"ic*al*ly, adv. In the manner
of metaphysical science, or of a metaphysician.
South.
Met`a*phy*si"cian (?), n. [Cf.
F. m\'82taphysicien.] One who is versed in
metaphysics.
Met`a*phys"ics (?), n. [Gr. m\'82taphysique. See Physics. The term was
first used by the followers of Aristotle as a name for that part
of his writings which came after, or followed, the
part which treated of physics.] 1.
The science of real as distinguished from phenomenal being;
ontology; also, the science of being, with reference to its
abstract and universal conditions, as distinguished from the
science of determined or concrete being; the science of the
conceptions and relations which are necessarily implied as true
of every kind of being; phylosophy in general; first principles,
or the science of first principles.
Metaphysics is distinguished as
general and special. General
metaphysics is the science of all being as being.
Special metaphysics is the science of one kind of
being; as, the metaphysics of chemistry, of morals, or
of politics. According to Kant, a systematic exposition of those
notions and truths, the knowledge of which is altogether
independent of experience, would constitute the science of
metaphysics.
Commonly, in the schools, called metaphysics, as
being part of the philosophy of Aristotle, which hath that for
title; but it is in another sense: for there it signifieth as
much as \'bdbooks written or placed after his natural
philosophy.\'b8 But the schools take them for \'bdbooks of
supernatural philosophy;\'b8 for the word metaphysic
will bear both these senses.
Hobbes.
Now the science conversant about all such inferences of
unknown being from its known manifestations, is called ontology,
or metaphysics proper.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Metaphysics are [is] the science which determines
what can and what can not be known of being, and the laws of
being, a priori.
Coleridge.
2. Hence: The scientific knowledge of mental
phenomena; mental philosophy; psychology.
Metaphysics, in whatever latitude the term be
taken, is a science or complement of sciences exclusively
occupied with mind.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Whether, after all,
A larger metaphysics might not help
Our physics.
Mrs. Browning.
\'d8Me*taph"y*sis (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. Change of form;
transformation.
Met"a*plasm (?), n. [L.
metaplasmus, Gr. m\'82taplasme.] (Gram.) A
change in the letters or syllables of a word.
Met"a*plast (?), n. [See
Metaplasm.] (Gram.) A word having
more than one form of the root.
Met"a*pode (?), n. [NL.
metapodium, from Gr. (Zo\'94l.) The posterior
division of the foot in the Gastropoda and Pteropoda.
Met`a*po"di*al (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the metapodialia, or
to the parts of the limbs to which they belong.
\'d8Met`a*po`di*a"le (?), n.;
pl. Metapodialia (#). [NL.
See Metapode.] (Anat.) One of the
bones of either the metacarpus or metatarsus.
\'d8Met`a*po"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Metapodia (#). [NL.]
(Zo\'94l.) Same as Metapode.
\'d8Met`a*poph"y*sis (?), n.;
pl. Metapophyses (#). [NL.
See Meta-, and Apophysis.]
(Anat.) A tubercle projecting from the anterior
articular processes of some vertebr
\'d8Me*tap`te*ryg"i*um (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)
The posterior of the three principal basal cartilages in the
fins of fishes. -- Me*tap`ter*yg"i*al
(#), a.
Met`a*sil"i*cate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of metasilicic acid.
Met`a*si*lic"ic (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + silicic.] (Chem.)
Designating an acid derived from silicic acid by the removal
of water; of or pertaining to such an acid.
bisilicates, in mineralogy, as Wollastonite
(CaSiO3).
Metasilicic acid (Chem.), a
gelatinous substance, or white amorphous powder, analogous to
carbonic acid, and forming many stable salts.
Met`a*so"ma*tism (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + Gr. (Geol.)
An alteration in a mineral or rock mass when involving a
chemical change of the substance, as of chrysolite to serpentine;
-- opposed to ordinary metamorphism, as implying
simply a recrystallization. --
Met`a*so*mat"ic (#),
a.
Met"a*some (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + -some body.]
(Zo\'94l.) One of the component segments of the
body of an animal.
Met`a*stan"nate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of metastannic acid.
Met`a*stan"nic (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a compound
of tin (metastannic acid), obtained, as an isomeric modification
of stannic acid, in the form of a white amorphous
substance.
Me*tas"ta*sis (?), n.; pl.
Metastases (#). [L., transition,
fr. Gr.
1. (Theol.) A spiritual change, as
during baptism.
2. (Med.) A change in the location of a
disease, as from one part to another.
Dunglison.
3. (Physiol.) The act or process by
which matter is taken up by cells or tissues and is transformed
into other matter; in plants, the act or process by which are
produced all of those chemical changes in the constituents of the
plant which are not accompanied by a production of organic
matter; metabolism.
Met`a*stat"ic (?), a. Of,
pertaining to, or caused by, metastasis; as, a
metastatic abscess; the metastatic processes of
growth.
Met`a*ster"nal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the metasternum.
\'d8Met`a*ster"num (?), n.
[Pref. meta- + sternum.]
1. (Anat.) The most posterior element of
the sternum; the ensiform process; xiphisternum.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The ventral plate of the
third or last segment of the thorax of insects.
{ \'d8Me*tas"to*ma (?),
Met"a*stome (?), } n.
[NL. metastoma, from Gr. meta` behind
+ sto`ma mouth.] (Zo\'94l.) A
median elevation behind the mouth in the arthropods.
Met`a*tar"sal (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the metatarsus.
-- n. A metatarsal bone.
Met"a*tarse (?), n.
(Anat.) Metatarsus.
Met`a*tar"sus (?), n.; pl.
Metatarsi (#). [NL. See
Meta-, and Tarsus.] (Anat.)
That part of the skeleton of the hind or lower limb between
the tarsus and phalanges; metatarse. It consists, in the human
foot, of five bones. See Illustration in
Appendix.
Me*tath"e*sis (?), n.; pl.
Metatheses (. [L., fr. Gr.
meta`thesis, fr. metatithe`nai to place
differently, to transpose; meta` beyond, over +
tithe`nai to place, set. See Thesis.]
1. (Gram.) Transposition, as of the
letters or syllables of a word; as, pistris for
pristis; meagre for meager.
2. (Med.) A mere change in place of a
morbid substance, without removal from the body.
3. (Chem.) The act, process, or result
of exchange, substitution, or replacement of atoms and radicals;
thus, by metathesis an acid gives up all or part of
its hydrogen, takes on an equivalent amount of a metal or base,
and forms a salt.
{ Met`a*thet"ic (?),
Met`a*thet"ic*al (?), } a.
Of or pertaining to metathesis.
Met`a*tho*rac"ic (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the
metathorax.
Met`a*tho"rax (?), n. [NL.: cf.
F. m\'82tathorax. See Meta-, and
Thorax.] (Zo\'94l.) The last or
posterior segment of the thorax in insects. See
Illust. of Coleoptera.
Met`a*ti*tan"ic (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + titanic.] (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid of titanium
analogous to metasilicic acid.
Met`a*tung"state (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of metatungstic acid.
Met`a*tung"stic (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + tungstic.] (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid known only in its
salts (the metatungstates) and properly called
polytungstic, or pyrotungstic, acid.
Met`a*van"a*date (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of metavanadic acid.
Met`a*va*nad"ic (?), a. [Pref.
meta- + vanadic.] (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or designating, a vanadic acid analogous
to metaphosphoric acid.
Met`a*xy"lene (?), n. [Pref.
meta- + xylene.] (Chem.)
That variety of xylene, or dimethyl benzene, in which the
two methyl groups occupy the meta position with reference to each
other. It is a colorless inf
\'d8M\'82`ta`yage" (?), n. [F.
See M\'82tayer.] A system of farming on
halves. [France & Italy]
\'d8M\'82`ta`yer" (F. ?; E. ?), n.
[F., fr. LL. medietarius, fr. L.
medius middle, half. See Mid,
a.] One who cultivates land for a share
(usually one half) of its yield, receiving stock, tools, and seed
from the landlord. [France & Italy]
Milman.
\'d8Met`a*zo"a (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Zo\'94l.) Those animals in which the
protoplasmic mass, constituting the egg, is converted into a
multitude of cells, which are metamorphosed into the tissues of
the body. A central cavity is commonly developed, and the cells
around it are at first arranged in two layers, -- the
ectoderm and endoderm. The group comprises
nearly all animals except the Protozoa.
Met`a*zo"an (?), n.; pl.
Metazoans (. (Zo\'94l.)
One of the Metazoa.
Met`a*zo"ic (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the Metazoa.
\'d8Met`a*zo"\'94n (?), n.
[NL.] (Zo\'94l.) One of the
Metazoa.
Mete (?), n. Meat.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mete, v. t. & i. To meet.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mete, v. i. & t. [imp.
Mette (?); p. p.
Met.] [AS. m.]
To dream; also impersonally; as, me
mette, I dreamed. [Obs.] \'bdI
mette of him all night.\'b8
Chaucer.
Mete (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Meted; p. pr. &
vb. n. Meting.] [AS.
metan; akin to D. meten, G.
messen, OHG. mezzan, Icel. meta,
Sw. m\'84ta, Goth. mitan, L.
modus measure, moderation, modius a corn
measure, Gr. measure, L. metiri to
measure; cf. Skr. m\'be to measure. Measure, Meet, a.,
Mode.] To find the quantity, dimensions, or
capacity of, by any rule or standard; to measure.
Mete (?), v. i. To
measure. [Obs.]
Mark iv. 24.
Mete, n. [AS. met. See
Mete to measure.] Measure; limit; boundary;
-- used chiefly in the plural, and in the phrase metes and
bounds.
Mete"corn` (?), n. A quantity
of corn formerly given by the lord to his customary tenants, as
an encouragement to, or reward for, labor and faithful
service.
Mete"ly, a. According to measure or
proportion; proportionable; proportionate.
[Obs.]
{ Met`em*pir"ic (?),
Met`em*pir"ic*al (?), } a.
[Pref. met- + empiric,
-ical.] (Metaph.) Related, or
belonging, to the objects of knowledge within the province of
metempirics.
If then the empirical designates the province we include
within the range of science, the province we exclude may be fitly
styled the metempirical.
G. H. Lewes.
Met*em*pir"i*cism (?), n. The
science that is concerned with metempirics.
Met`em*pir"ics (?), n. The
concepts and relations which are conceived as beyond, and yet as
related to, the knowledge gained by experience.
Me*temp"sy*chose (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Metempsychosed
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Metempsychosing
(?).] [See
Metempsychosis.] To translate or transfer, as
the soul, from one body to another. [R.]
Peacham.
Me*temp`sy*cho"sis (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr. Psychology.] The passage of
the soul, as an immortal essence, at the death of the animal body
it had inhabited, into another living body, whether of a brute or
a human being; transmigration of souls.
Sir T. Browne.
Met`emp*to"sis (?), n. [NL.,
from Gr. (Chron.)
The suppression of a day in the calendar to prevent the date
of the new moon being set a day too late, or the suppression of
the bissextile day once in 134 years. The opposite to this is the
proemptosis, or the addition of a day every 330 years,
and another every 2,400 years.
Met`en*ceph"a*lon (?), n.
[Met- + encephalon.]
(Anat.) The posterior part of the brain,
including the medulla; the afterbrain. Sometimes abbreviated to
meten.
\'d8Met`en*so`ma*to"sis (?), n.
[L., a change of body (by the soul), fr. Gr.
(Biol.) The assimilation by one body or organism
of the elements of another.
Me"te*or (?), n. [F.
m\'82t\'82ore, Gr.
1. Any phenomenon or appearance in the atmosphere,
as clouds, rain, hail, snow, etc.
Hail, an ordinary meteor.
Bp. Hall.
2. Specif.: A transient luminous body or appearance
seen in the atmosphere, or in a more elevated region.
The vaulty top of heaven
Figured quite o'er with burning meteors.
Shak.
aerial meteors, winds, tornadoes,
etc.; aqueous meteors, rain, hail, snow, dew, etc.;
luminous meteors, rainbows, halos, etc.; and
igneous meteors, lightning, shooting stars, and the
like.
Me`te*or"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
m\'82t\'82orique.] 1. Of or
pertaining to a meteor, or to meteors; atmospheric, as,
meteoric phenomena; meteoric stones.
2. Influenced by the weather; as,
meteoric conditions.
3. Flashing; brilliant; transient; like a meteor;
as, meteoric fame.
\'bdMeteoric politician.\'b8
Craik.
Meteoric iron, Meteoric
stone. (Min.) See
Meteorite. -- Meteoric paper, a
substance of confervoid origin found floating in the air, and
resembling bits of coarse paper; -- so called because formerly
supposed to fall from meteors. -- Meteoric
showers, periodical exhibitions of shooting stars,
occuring about the 9th or 10th of August and 13th of November,
more rarely in April and December, and also at some other
periods.
Me`te*or"ic*al (?), a.
Meteoric.
Me"te*or*ism (?), n.
(Med.) Flatulent distention of the abdomen;
tympanites.
Me"te*or*ite (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82t\'82orite.] (Min.) A mass
of stone or iron which has fallen to the earth from space; an
a\'89rolite.
1. Of metallic iron, alloyed with a small percentage
of nickel (meteoric iron, holosiderite).
When etched this usually exhibits peculiar crystalline figures,
called Widmanst\'84tten figures. 2. Of a
cellular mass of iron with imbedded silicates
(mesosiderite or siderolite).
3. Of a stony mass of silicates with little iron
(meteoric stone, sporadosiderite).
4. Of a mass without iron
(asiderite).
<-- Comm: carbonaceous? Add mark for composition? -->
Me"te*or*ize (?), v. i. [Gr.
To ascend in vapors; to
take the form of a meteor.
Evelyn.
Me`te*or"o*graph (?), n.
[Meteor + -graph.] An
instrument which registers meteorologic phases or
conditions.
Me`te*or`o*graph"ic (?), a. Of
or pertaining to meteorography.
Me`te*or*og"ra*phy (?), n.
[Meteor + -graphy.] The
registration of meteorological phenomena.
<-- p. 919 -->
Me"te*or*oid (?), n.
[Meteor + -oid.]
(Astron.) A small body moving through space, or
revolving about the sun, which on entering the earth's atmosphere
would be deflagrated and appear as a meteor.
These bodies [small, solid bodies] before they come into the
air, I call meteoroids.
H. A. Newton.
Me`te*or*oid"al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a meteoroid or to meteoroids.
Me`te*or"o*lite (?; 277), n.
[Meteor + -lite : cf. F.
m\'82t\'82orolithe.] A meteoric stone; an
a\'89rolite; a meteorite.
{ Me`te*or`o*lig"ic (?),
Me`te*or`o*log"ic*al (?), } a.
[Gr. m\'82t\'82orologique.]
Of or pertaining to the atmosphere and its phenomena, or to
meteorology.
Meteorological table, Meteorological
register, a table or register exhibiting the
state of the air and its temperature, weight, dryness, moisture,
motion, etc.
Me`te*or*ol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf.
F. m\'82t\'82orologiste.] A person skilled
in meteorology.
Me`te*or*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr.
m\'82t\'82orologie.
See Meteor.] The science which treats of the
atmosphere and its phenomena, particularly of its variations of
heat and moisture, of its winds, storms, etc.
Me`te*or"o*man`cy (?), n.
[Meteor + -mancy : cf. F.
m\'82t\'82oromancie.] A species of
divination by meteors, chiefly by thunder and lightning, which
was held in high estimation by the Romans.
Me`te*or*om"e*ter (?), n.
[Meteor + -meter.] An
apparatus which transmits automatically to a central station
atmospheric changes as marked by the anemometer, barometer,
thermometer, etc.
Me`te*or"o*scope (?; 277), n.
[Gr. m\'82t\'82oroscope. See
Meteor.] (Astron.) (a) An
astrolabe; a planisphere. [Obs.] (b)
An instrument for measuring the position, length, and
direction, of the apparent path of a shooting star.
Me*te"o*rous (? , a.
[See Meteor.] Of the nature or
appearance of a meteor.
-me"ter (?). [L. metrum
measure, or the allied Gr. Meter rhythm.]
A suffix denoting that by which anything is
measured; as, barometer, chronometer,
dynamometer.
Me"ter (?), n. [From
Mete to measure.] 1. One who, or
that which, metes or measures. See Coal-meter.
2. An instrument for measuring, and usually for
recording automatically, the quantity measured.
Dry meter, a gas meter having measuring
chambers, with flexible walls, which expand and contract like
bellows and measure the gas by filling and emptying. --
W, a gas meter in which the revolution
of a chambered drum in water measures the gas passing through
it.
Me"ter, n. A line above or below a
hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen
it.
{ Me"ter, Me"tre } (?),
n. [OE. metre, F. m\'8atre,
L. metrum, fr. Gr. m\'be
to measure. See Mete to measure.] 1.
Rhythmical arrangement of syllables or words into verses,
stanzas, strophes, etc.; poetical measure, depending on number,
quantity, and accent of syllables; rhythm; measure; verse; also,
any specific rhythmical arrangements; as, the Horatian
meters; a dactylic meter.
The only strict antithesis to prose is meter.
Wordsworth.
2. A poem. [Obs.]
Robynson (More's Utopia).
3. A measure of length, equal to 39.37 English
inches, the standard of linear measure in the metric system of
weights and measures. It was intended to be, and is very nearly,
the ten millionth part of the distance from the equator to the
north pole, as ascertained by actual measurement of an arc of a
meridian. See Metric system, under
Metric.
Common meter (Hymnol.), four iambic
verses, or lines, making a stanza, the first and third having
each four feet, and the second and fourth each three feet; --
usually indicated by the initials C.M. -- Long
meter (Hymnol.), iambic verses or lines of
four feet each, four verses usually making a stanza; -- commonly
indicated by the initials L.M. -- Short meter
(Hymnol.), iambic verses or lines, the first,
second, and fourth having each three feet, and the third four
feet. The stanza usually consists of four lines, but is sometimes
doubled. Short meter is indicated by the initials
S.M.
Me"ter*age (?), n. [See 1st
Meter.] The act of measuring, or the cost of
measuring.
Me"ter*gram` (?), n.
(Mech.) A measure of energy or work done; the
power exerted in raising one gram through the distance of one
meter against gravitation.
Mete"wand` (?), n.
[Mete to measure + wand.]
A measuring rod.
Ascham.
Mete"yard` (?), n. [AS.
metgeard. See Mete to measure, and
Yard stick.] A yard, staff, or rod, used as a
measure. [Obs.]
Shak.
Meth (?), n. See
Meathe. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Met`h\'91m*o*glo"bin (? , n.
[Pref. met- + h.]
(Physiol. Chem.) A stable crystalline compound
obtained by the decomposition of hemoglobin. It is found in old
blood stains.
Meth"al (?), n.
[Myristic + ether +
alcohol.] (Chem.) A white waxy
substance, found in small quantities in spermaceti as an ethereal
salt of several fatty acids, and regarded as an alcohol of the
methane series.
Meth"ane (?), n. [See
Methal.] (Chem.) A light,
colorless, gaseous, inflammable hydrocarbon,
CH4; marsh gas. See Marsh gas,
under Gas.
Methane series (Chem.), a series of
saturated hydrocarbons, of which methane is the first member and
type, and (because of their general chemical inertness and
indifference) called also the paraffin (little affinity)
series. The lightest members are gases, as methane,
ethane; intermediate members are liquids, as hexane, heptane,
etc. (found in benzine, kerosene, etc.); while the highest
members are white, waxy, or fatty solids, as paraffin
proper.
Me*theg"lin (?), n. [W.
meddyglyn; medd mead + llyn
liquor, juice. See Mead a drink.] A fermented
beverage made of honey and water; mead.
Gay.
Meth"ene (?), n.
[Methyl + ethylene.]
(Chem.) See Methylene.
Meth"e*nyl (?), n.
[Methene + -yl.]
(Chem.) The hypothetical hydrocarbon radical
CH, regarded as an essential residue of certain
organic compounds.
Meth"ide (? , n. [See
Methyl.] (Chem.) A binary compound
of methyl with some element; as, aluminium methide,
Al2(CH3)6.
Me*thinks" (?), v. impers.
[imp. Methought
(?).] [AS. to
seem, m, m, OE. me thinketh, me
thoughte; akin to G. d\'81nken to seem,
denken to think, and E. think. See
Me, and Think.] It seems to me; I
think. See Me. [R., except in
poetry.]
In all ages poets have been had in special reputation, and,
methinks, not without great cause.
Spenser.
Me*thi"on*ate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of methionic acid.
Meth`i*on"ic (?), a.
[Methyl + thionic.]
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, a
sulphonic (thionic) acid derivative of methane, obtained
as a stable white crystalline substance,
CH2.(SO3H)2, which forms well defined
salts.
Meth"od (?), n. [F.
m\'82thode, L. methodus, fr. Gr.
meqodos method, investigation following after;
meta` after + "odo`s way.]
1. An orderly procedure or process; regular manner
of doing anything; hence, manner; way; mode; as, a
method of teaching languages; a method of
improving the mind.
Addison.
2. Orderly arrangement, elucidation, development,
or classification; clear and lucid exhibition; systematic
arrangement peculiar to an individual.
Though this be madness, yet there's method in
it.
Shak.
All method is a rational progress, a progress
toward an end.
Sir W. Hamilton.
3. (Nat. Hist.) Classification; a mode
or system of classifying natural objects according to certain
common characteristics; as, the method of
Theophrastus; the method of Ray; the Linn\'91an
method.
Syn. -- Order; system; rule; regularity; way; manner; mode;
course; process; means. -- Method,
Mode, Manner. Method implies
arrangement; mode, mere action or existence.
Method is a way of reaching a given end by a
series of acts which tend to secmode relates to a single action, or to the form which
a series of acts, viewed as a whole, exhibits. Manner
is literally the handling of a thing, and has a wider
sense, embracing both method and mode. An
instructor may adopt a good method of teaching to
write; the scholar may acquire a bad mode of holding
his pen; the manner in which he is corrected will
greatly affect his success or failure.
{ Me*thod"ic (?), Me*thod"ic*al
(?), } a. [L.
methodicus, Gr. m\'82thodique.] 1. Arranged with
regard to method; disposed in a suitable manner, or in a manner
to illustrate a subject, or to facilitate practical observation;
as, the methodical arrangement of arguments; a
methodical treatise.
\'bdMethodical regularity.\'b8
Addison.
2. Proceeding with regard to method;
systematic. \'bdAristotle, strict, methodic, and
orderly.\'b8
Harris.
3. Of or pertaining to the ancient school of
physicians called methodists.
Johnson.
-- Me*thod"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Me*thod"ic*al*ness, n.
Me*thod"ios (?), n. The art and
principles of method.
Meth"o*dism (?), n.
(Eccl.) The system of doctrines, polity, and
worship, of the sect called Methodists.
Bp. Warburton.
Meth"o*dist (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82thodiste. See Method.] 1.
One who observes method. [Obs.]
2. One of an ancient school of physicians who
rejected observation and founded their practice on reasoning and
theory.
Sir W. Hamilton.
3. (Theol.) One of a sect of Christians,
the outgrowth of a small association called the \'bdHoly
Club,\'b8 formed at Oxford University, A.D. 1729, of
which the most conspicuous members were John Wesley and his
brother Charles; -- originally so called from the methodical
strictness of members of the club in all religious duties.
4. A person of strict piety; one who lives in the
exact observance of religious duties; -- sometimes so called in
contempt or ridicule.
Meth"o*dist, a. Of or pertaining to the
sect of Methodists; as, Methodist hymns; a
Methodist elder.
{ Meth`o*dis"tic (?),
Meth`o*dis"tic*al (?), } a.
Of or pertaining to methodists, or to the Methodists.
-- Meth`o*dis"tic*al*ly,
adv.
Meth`od*i*za"tion (?), n. The
act or process of methodizing, or the state of being
methodized.
Meth"od*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Methodized
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Methodizing
(?).] To reduce to method; to dispose
in due order; to arrange in a convenient manner; as, to
methodize one's work or thoughts.
Spectator.
Meth"od*i`zer (?), n. One who
methodizes.
Meth`od*o*log"ic*al (?), a. Of
or pertaining to methodology.
Meth`od*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr.
-logy.] The science of method
or arrangement; a treatise on method.
Coleridge.
Meth"ol (?), n. [Gr. -ol.] (Chem.) The technical name
of methyl alcohol or wood spirit; also, by extension, the class
name of any of the series of alcohols of the methane series of
which methol proper is the type. See Methyl
alcohol, under Methyl.
Me*thought" (?), imp. of
Methinks.
Meth*ox"yl (?), n.
[Methyl + hydroxyl.]
(Chem.) A hypothetical radical,
CH3O, analogous to hydroxyl.
Meth"yl (?), n. [See
Methylene.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon
radical, CH3, not existing alone but regarded as
an essential residue of methane, and appearing as a component
part of many derivatives; as, methyl alcohol,
methyl ether, methyl amine, etc.
[Formerly written also methule,
methyle, etc.]
Methyl alcohol (Chem.), a light,
volatile, inflammable liquid, CH3.OH, obtained
by the distillation of wood, and hence called wood
spirit<-- wood alcohol -->; -- called also
methol, carbinol, etc.
-- Methyl amine (Chem.), a colorless,
inflammable, alkaline gas, CH3.NH2, having an
ammoniacal, fishy odor. It is produced artificially, and also
occurs naturally in herring brine and other fishy products. It is
regarded as ammonia in which a third of its hydrogen is replaced
by methyl, and is a type of the class of substituted
ammonias. -- Methyl ether
(Chem.), a light, volatile ether
CH3.O.CH3, obtained by the etherification of
methyl alcohol; -- called also methyl
oxide. -- Methyl green.
(Chem.) See under Green,
n. -- Methyl orange.
(Chem.) See Helianthin. --
Methyl violet (Chem.), an artificial
dye, consisting of certain methyl halogen derivatives of
rosaniline.
Meth"yl*al (?), n.
[Methylene + alcohol.]
(Chem.) A light, volatile liquid,
H2C(OCH3)2, regarded as a complex ether, and
having a pleasant ethereal odor. It is obtained by the partial
oxidation of methyl alcohol. Called also
formal.
Meth`yl*am"ine (? , n.
(Chem.) See Methyl amine, under
Methyl.
Meth"yl*ate (?), n.
[Methyl + alcoholate.]
(Chem.) An alcoholate of methyl alcohol in which
the hydroxyl hydrogen is replaced by a metal, after the analogy
of a hydrate; as, sodium methylate,
CH3ONa.
Meth"yl*ate (?), v. t. To
impregnate or mix with methyl or methyl alcohol.
Meth"yl*a`ted (?), a.
(Chem.) Impregnated with, or containing, methyl
alcohol or wood spirit; as, methylated
spirits.
Meth"yl*ene (?), n. [F.
m\'82thyl\'8ane, from Gr. wood
spirit.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon
radical, CH2, not known in the free state, but
regarded as an essential residue and component of certain
derivatives of methane; as, methylene bromide,
CH2Br2; -- formerly called also
methene.
Methylene blue (Chem.), an
artificial dyestuff consisting of a complex sulphur derivative of
diphenyl amine; -- called also pure
blue.
Me*thyl"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or
containing, methyl; specifically, designating methyl alcohol. See
under Methyl.
Me*thys"ti*cin (?), n.
(Chem.) A white, silky, crystalline substance
extracted from the thick rootstock of a species of pepper
(Piper methysticum) of the South Sea Islands; --
called also kanakin.
Met"ic (? , n. [Gr.
metoecus, F.
m\'82t\'8aque.] (Gr. Antiq.) A
sojourner; an immigrant; an alien resident in a Grecian city, but
not a citizen.
Mitford.
The whole force of Athens, metics as well as
citizens, and all the strangers who were then in the city.
Jowett (Thucyd. ).
Me*tic"u*lous (?), a. [L.
meticulosus, fr. metus fear: cf. F.
m\'82ticuleux.] Timid; fearful.
-- Me*tic"u*lous*ly,
adv.
{ \'d8M\'82`tif" (?), n. m.
\'d8M\'82`tive" (?), n. f.
}[F.] See M\'82tis.
{ \'d8M\'82`tis" (?), n. m.
\'d8M\'82`tisse" (?), n. f.
}[F.; akin to Sp. mestizo. See
Mestizo.] 1. The offspring of a
white person and an American Indian.
2. The offspring of a white person and a quadroon;
an octoroon. [Local, U. S.]
Bartlett.
Met"o*che (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
(Arch.) (a) The space
between two dentils. (b) The space between
two triglyphs.
Me*ton"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
m\'82tonique.] Pertaining to, or discovered
by, Meton, the Athenian.
Metonic cycle .
(Astron.) See under Cycle.
{ Met`o*nym"ic (?),
Met`o*nym"ic*al (?), } a.
[See Metonymy.] Used by way of
metonymy. -- Met`o*nym"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Me*ton"y*my (?; 277), n. [L.
metonymia, Gr. m\'82tonymie. See
Name.] (Rhet.) A trope in which
one word is put for another that suggests it; as, we say, a
man keeps a good table instead of good
provisions; we read Virgil, that is, his
poems; a man has a warm heart, that is, warm
affections.
Met"o*pe (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
1.
(Arch.) The space between two triglyphs of the
Doric frieze, which, among the ancients, was often adorned with
carved work. See Illust. of
Entablature.
2. (Zo\'94l.) The face of a crab.
Me*top"ic (?), a. [Gr. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
forehead or frontal bones; frontal; as, the metopic
suture.
Met"o*po*man`cy (?), n. [Gr.
-mancy.] Fortune telling
by physiognomy. [R.]
Urquhart.
{ Met`o*po*scop"ic (?),
Met`o*po*scop"ic*al (?), } a.
Of or relating to metoposcopy.
Met`o*pos"co*pist (?), n. One
versed in metoposcopy.
Met`o*pos"co*py (?), n. [Gr.
m\'82toposcopie.] The study of
physiognomy; the art of discovering the character of persons by
their features, or the lines of the face.
\'d8Me*tos"te*on (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Anat.) The
postero-lateral ossification in the sternum of birds; also, the
part resulting from such ossification.
<-- p. 920 -->
<-- p. 920 -->
Me"tre (?), n. See
Meter.
Met"ric (?), a. [L.
metricus, Gr. m\'82trique. See
Meter rhythm.]
1. Relating to measurement; involving, or
proceeding by, measurement.
2. Of or pertaining to the meter as a standard of
measurement; of or pertaining to the decimal system of
measurement of which a meter is the unit; as, the
metric system; a metric measurement.
Metric analysis (Chem.), analysis
by volume; volumetric analysis. -- Metric system,
a system of weights and measures originating in France, the
use of which is required by law in many countries, and permitted
in many others, including the United States and England. The
principal unit is the meter (see Meter). From
this are formed the are, the liter, the
stere, the gram, etc. These units, and others
derived from them, are divided decimally, and larger units are
formed from multiples by 10, 100, 1,000, and 10,000. The
successive multiplies are designated by the prefixes,
deca-, hecto-, kilo-, and
myria-; successive parts by deci-,
centi-, and milli-. The prefixes
mega- and micro- are sometimes used to denote
a multiple by one million, and the millionth part, respectively.
See the words formed with these prefixes in the Vocabulary. For
metric tables, see p. 1682.
<-- nano-, pico-, femto-, atto-; giga-, tera, etc. -->
Met"ric*al (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to the meter; arranged in meter; consisting
of verses; as, metrical compositions.
2. Of or pertaining to measurement; as, the
inch, foot, yard, etc., are metrical terms; esp.,
of or pertaining to the metric system.
Met"ric*al*ly, adv. In a metrical
manner.
Me*tri"cian (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82tricien. See Meter rhythm.] A
composer of verses. [Obs.]
Met"ric sys"tem (?). See Metric,
a.
Met`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n.
Composition in metrical form; versification.
[R.]
Tennyson.
Met"ri*fy (?), v. i. [L.
metrum meter + -fy: cf. F.
m\'82trifier.] To make verse.
[R.]
Skelton.
Me"trist (?), n. A maker of
verses.
Bale.
Spenser was no mere metrist, but a great
composer.
Lowell.
\'d8Me*tri"tis (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. -tis.] (Med.)
Inflammation of the womb.
Met"ro*chrome (?), n. [Gr. An instrument for measuring
colors.
Met"ro*graph (?), n. [Gr. -graph.] An instrument attached
to a locomotive for recording its speed and the number and
duration of its stops.
Met`ro*log"ic*al (?), a. [Cf.
F. m\'82trologique.] Of or pertaining to
metrology.
Me*trol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. -m\'82trologie.] The science of,
or a system of, weights and measures; also, a treatise on the
subject.
Met`ro*ma"ni*a (?), n. [Gr. mania.] A mania for writing
verses.
Met`ro*ma"ni*ac (?), n. One who
has metromania.
Me*trom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. -meter.] (Med.) An
instrument for measuring the size of the womb.
Knight.
Met"ro*nome (?), n. [Gr. m\'82tronome,
It. metronomo.] An instrument consisting of
a short pendulum with a sliding weight. It is set in motion by
clockwork, and serves to measure time in music.
Me*tron"o*my (?), n. [See
Metronome.] Measurement of time by an
instrument.
Met`ro*nym"ic (?), a. [Gr. Derived from the name
of one's mother, or other female ancestor; as, a
metronymic name or appellation. -- A metronymic
appellation.
Met"ro*pole (?), n. [Cf. F.
m\'82tropole. See Metropolis.] A
metropolis. [Obs.]
Holinshed.
Me*trop"o*lis (?), n. [L.
metropolis, Gr. Mother, and Police.]
1. The mother city; the chief city of a kingdom,
state, or country.
[Edinburgh] gray metropolis of the North.
Tennyson.
2. (Eccl.) The seat, or see, of the
metropolitan, or highest church dignitary.
The great metropolis and see of Rome.
Shak.
Met`ro*pol"i*tan (?; 277), a.
[L. metropolitanus: cf. F.
m\'82tropolitain.]
1. Of or pertaining to the capital or principal
city of a country; as, metropolitan
luxury.
2. (Eccl.) Of, pertaining to, or
designating, a metropolitan or the presiding bishop of a country
or province, his office, or his dignity; as,
metropolitan authority. \'bdBishops
metropolitan.\'b8
Sir T. More.
Met`ro*pol"i*tan, n. [LL.
metropolitanus.]
1. The superior or presiding bishop of a country or
province.
2. (Lat. Church.) An archbishop.
3. (Gr. Church) A bishop whose see is
civil metropolis. His rank is intermediate between that of an
archbishop and a patriarch.
Hook.
Met`ro*pol"i*tan*ate (?), n.
The see of a metropolitan bishop.
Milman.
Me*trop"o*lite (?), n. [L.
metropolita, Gr. A
metropolitan.
Barrow.
Met`ro*po*lit"ic*al (?), a. Of
or pertaining to a metropolis; being a metropolis; metropolitan;
as, the metropolitical chair.
Bp. Hall.
\'d8Met`ror*rha"gi*a (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Med.) Profuse bleeding from the womb, esp. such
as does not occur at the menstrual period.
Met"ro*scope (?), n. [Gr. -scope.] A modification of the
stethoscope, for directly auscultating the uterus from the
vagina.
\'d8Met`ro*si*de"ros (?), n.
[NL., fr. Gr.
(Bot.) A myrtaceous genus of trees or shrubs,
found in Australia and the South Sea Islands, and having very
hard wood. Metrosideros vera is the true
ironwood.
Met"ro*tome (?), n. [See
Metrotomy.] (Surg.) An instrument
for cutting or scarifying the uterus or the neck of the
uterus.
Me*trot"o*my (?), n. [Gr. m\'82trotomie.]
(Surg.) The operation of cutting into the uterus;
hysterotomy; the C\'91sarean section.
-me*try (?). [See -meter.]
A suffix denoting the art, process, or
science, of measuring; as,
acidmetry, chlorometry,
chronometry.
Mette (?), obs. imp. of
Mete, to dream. Chaucer.
Met"tle (?), n. [E.
metal, used in a tropical sense in allusion to the
temper of the metal of a sword blade. See Metal.]
Substance or quality of temperament; spirit, esp. as regards
honor, courage, fortitude, ardor, etc.; disposition; -- usually
in a good sense.
A certain critical hour which shall... try what
mettle his heart is made of.
South.
Gentlemen of brave mettle.
Shak.
The winged courser, like a generous horse,
Shows most true mettle when you check his course.
Pope.
To put one one's mettle, to cause or incite
one to use one's best efforts.
Met"tled (?), a. Having mettle;
high-spirited; ardent; full of fire.
Addison.
Met"tle*some (?), a. Full of
spirit; possessing constitutional ardor; fiery; as, a
mettlesome horse.
-- Met"tle*some*ly, adv. --
Met"tle*some*ness, n.
Meute (?), n. A cage for hawks;
a mew. See 4th Mew, 1.
Milman.
Meve (?), v. t. & i. To
move. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mew (?), n. [AS.
m, akin to D. meeuw, G.
m\'94we, OHG. m, Icel.
m\'ber.] (Zo\'94l.) A gull, esp.
the common British species (Larus canus); called also
sea mew, maa,
mar, mow, and
cobb.
Mew, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Mewed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Mewing.] [OE. muen, F.
muer, fr. L. mutare to change, fr.
movere to move. See Move, and cf.
Mew a cage, Molt.] To shed or cast;
to change; to molt; as, the hawk mewed his
feathers.
Nine times the moon had mewed her horns.
Dryden.
Mew, v. i. To cast the feathers; to
molt; hence, to change; to put on a new appearance.
Now everything doth mew,
And shifts his rustic winter robe.
Turbervile.
Mew, n. [OE. mue, F.
mue change of feathers, scales, skin, the time or
place when the change occurs, fr. muer to molt, mew,
L. mutare to change. See 2d Mew.]
1. A cage for hawks while mewing; a coop for
fattening fowls; hence, any inclosure; a place of confinement or
shelter; -- in the latter sense usually in the plural.
Full many a fat partrich had he in mewe.
Chaucer.
Forthcoming from her darksome mew.
Spenser.
Violets in their secret mews.
Wordsworth.
2. A stable or range of stables for horses; --
compound used in the plural, and so called from the royal stables
in London, built on the site of the king's mews for hawks.
Mew, v. t. [From Mew a
cage.] To shut up; to inclose; to confine, as in a
cage or other inclosure.
More pity that the eagle should be mewed.
Shak.
Close mewed in their sedans, for fear of air.
Dryden.
Mew, v. i. [Of imitative origin; cf. G.
miauen.] To cry as a cat.
[Written also meaw, meow.]
Shak.
Mew, n. The common cry of a cat.
Shak.
Mewl (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Mewled (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Mewling.]
[Cf. F. miauler to mew, E. mew to cry
as a cat. Cf. Miaul.] To cry, as a young
child; to squall. [Written also
meawl.]
Shak.
Mewl"er (?), n. One that
mewls.
Mews (?), n. sing. & pl. [Prop.
pl. of mew. See Mew a cage.] An
alley where there are stables; a narrow passage; a confined
place. [Eng.]
Mr. Turveydrop's great room... was built out into a
mews at the back.
Dickens.
\'d8Mex*al" (?), Mex"i*cal
(#), n. [Sp.
mexcal.] See Mescal.
Mex"i*can (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Mexico or its people. -- n.
A native or inhabitant of Mexico.
Mexican poppy (Bot.), a tropical
American herb of the Poppy family (Argemone Mexicana)
with much the look of a thistle, but having large yellow or white
blossoms. -- Mexican tea (Bot.),
an aromatic kind of pigweed from tropical America
(Chenopodium ambrosioides).
Mex"i*can*ize (?), v. t. To
cause to be like the Mexicans, or their country, esp. in respect
of frequent revolutions of government.
Mex"i*can*ize, v. i. To become like the
Mexicans, or their country or government.
Neyn"e (?), n. [Obs.]
Same as Meine.
Mez*cal" (?), n. Same as
Mescal.
Me*ze"re*on (?), n. [F.
m\'82z\'82r\'82on, Per.
m\'bezriy.] (Bot.) A
small European shrub (Daphne Mezereum), whose acrid
bark is used in medicine.
\'d8Mez*qui"ta (?), n.
[Sp.] A mosque.
Mez"u*zoth (?), n. [Heb.
m, pl. of
m doorpost.] A piece of
parchment bearing the Decalogue and attached to the doorpost; --
in use among orthodox Hebrews.<-- now mezuzah or mezuzah,
used for the scroll together with the case in which it is
contained -->
Mez"za*nine (?), n. [F.
mezzanine, It. mezzanino, fr.
mezzano middle, fr. mezzo middle, half. See
Mezzo.] (Arch.) (a) Same
as Entresol. (b) A partial story
which is not on the same level with the story of the main part of
the edifice, as of a back building, where the floors are on a
level with landings of the staircase of the main house.
\'d8Mez"za vo"ce (?). [It., fr.
mezzo, fem. mezza middle, half +
voce voice, L. vox.]
(Mus.) With a medium fullness of sound.
\'d8Mez"zo (?), a. [It., from
L. medius middle, half. See Mid,
a.] (Mus.) Mean; not
extreme.
Mez"zo-re*lie"vo (?), n.
Mezzo-rilievo.
\'d8Mez"zo-ri*lie"vo (?), n.
[It.] (a) A middle degree of relief in
figures, between high and low relief. (b)
Sculpture in this kind of relief. See under
Alto-rilievo.
Mez"zo-so*pra"no (?), a.
(Mus.) Having a medium compass between the
soprano and contralto; -- said of the voice of a female
singer. -- n. (a) A
mezzo-soprano voice. (b) A person having such
a voice.
Mez"zo*tint (?), n. [Cf. F.
mezzo-tinto.] A manner of engraving on
copper or steel by drawing upon a surface previously roughened,
and then removing the roughness in places by scraping,
burnishing, etc., so as to produce the requisite light and shade.
Also, an engraving so produced.
Mez"zo*tint, v. t. To engrave in
mezzotint.
Mez"zo*tint`er (?), n. One who
engraves in mezzotint.
Mez`zo*tin"to (?), n. [It.
mezzo half + tinto tinted, p. p. of
tingere to dye, color, tinge, L. tingere.
See Mezzo.] Mezzotint.
Mez`zo*tin"to, v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Mezzotintoed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Mezzotintoing (?).]
To engrave in mezzotint; to represent by mezzotint.
Mhorr (?), n. (Zo\'94l.)
See Mohr.
Mi (?), n. [It.]
(Mus.) A syllable applied to the third tone of
the scale of C, i. e., to E, in European solmization,
but to the third tone of any scale in the American system.
Mi*a"mis (?), n. pl.; sing.
Miami (. (Ethnol.)
A tribe of Indians that formerly occupied the country
between the Wabash and Maumee rivers.
Mi*ar"gy*rite (?), n. [Gr. (Min.) A mineral of an
iron-black color, and very sectile, consisting principally of
sulphur, antimony, and silver.
Mi"as (?), n. [Malayan.]
The orang-outang.
Mi*asc"ite (?), n. [Named from
Miask, in the Ural Mountains.] (Min.)
A granitoid rock containing feldspar, biotite, el\'91olite,
and sodalite.
Mi"asm (?), n. [Cf. F.
miasme.] Miasma.
Mi*as"ma (?), n.; pl.
Miasmata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. Infectious particles
or germs floating in the air; air made noxious by the presence of
such particles or germs; noxious effluvia; malaria.
Mi*as"mal (?), a. Containing
miasma; miasmatic.
{ Mi`as*mat"ic (?),
Mi`as*mat"ic*al (?), } a.
[Cf. F. miasmatique.] Containing, or
relating to, miasma; caused by miasma; as, miasmatic
diseases.
Mi*as"ma*tist (?), n. One who
has made a special study of miasma.
Mi`as*mol"o*gy (?), n.
[Miasma + -logy.] That
department of medical science which treats of miasma.
Mi*aul" (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Miauled
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Miauling.] [Cf. F. miauler,
of imitative origin, and E. mew. Cf.
Mewl.] To cry as a cat; to mew; to
caterwaul.
Sir W. Scott.
Mi*aul", n. The crying of a cat.
Mi"ca (?), n. [L.
mica crumb, grain, particle; cf. F.
mica.] (Min.) The name of a
group of minerals characterized by highly perfect cleavage, so
that they readily separate into very thin leaves, more or less
elastic. They differ widely in composition, and vary in color
from pale brown or yellow to green or black. The transparent
forms are used in lanterns, the doors of stoves, etc., being
popularly called isinglass. Formerly called
also cat-silver, and
glimmer.
mica group
are: muscovite, common or potash mica, pale brown
or green, often silvery, including damourite (also
called hydromica); biotite,
iron-magnesia mica, dark brown, green, or black;
lepidomelane, iron, mica, black;
phlogopite, magnesia mica, colorless, yellow, brown;
lepidolite, lithia mica, rose-red, lilac.
Mica (usually muscovite, also biotite) is an
essential constituent of granite, gneiss, and mica slate;
biotite is common in many eruptive rocks;
phlogopite in crystalline limestone and
serpentine.
Mica diorite (Min.), an eruptive
rock allied to diorite but containing mica (biotite) instead of
hornblende. -- Mica powder, a kind of
dynamite containing fine scales of mica. -- Mica
schist, Mica slate (Geol.),
a schistose rock, consisting of mica and quartz with,
usually, some feldspar.
Mi*ca`ce*o-cal*ca"re*ous (?), a.
(Geol.) Partaking of the nature of, or consisting
of, mica and lime; -- applied to a mica schist containing
carbonate of lime.
Mi*ca"ceous (?), a. [Cf. F.
micac\'82.] Pertaining to, or containing,
mica; splitting into lamin\'91 or leaves like mica.
Mice (?), n., pl of
Mouse.
\'d8Mi*cel"la (?), n.; pl.
Micell\'91 (#). [NL., dim. of L.
mica a morsel, grain.] (Biol.) A
theoretical aggregation of molecules constituting a structural
particle of protoplasm, capable of increase or diminution without
change in chemical nature.
{ Mich, Miche } (?),
v. i. [OE. michen; cf. OE.
muchier, mucier, to conceal, F.
musser, and OHG. m to waylay. Cf.
Micher, Curmudgeon, Muset.]
To lie hid; to skulk; to act, or carry one's self,
sneakingly. [Obs. or Colloq.] [Written
also meach and meech.]
Spenser.
Mich"ael*mas (?), n.
[Michael + mass religious service; OE.
Mighelmesse.] The feat of the archangel
Michael, a church festival, celebrated on the 29th of September.
Hence, colloquially, autumn.
Michaelmas daisy. (Bot.) See under
Daisy.
Mich"er (?), n. [OE.
michare, muchare. See Mich.]
One who skulks, or keeps out of sight; hence, a truant; an
idler; a thief, etc. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mich"er*y (?), n. Theft;
cheating. [Obs.]
Gower.
Mich"ing, a. Hiding; skulking;
cowardly. [Colloq.] [Written also
meaching and meeching.]
<-- p. 921 -->
Mic"kle (?), a. [OE.
mikel, muchel, mochel,
mukel, AS. micel, mycel; akin to
OS. mikil, OHG. mihil, mihhil,
Icel. mikill, mykill, Goth.
mikils, L. magnus, Gr. mahat. Much,
Muckle, Magnitude.] Much;
great. [Written also muckle and
mockle.] [Old Eng. & Scot.] \'bdA
man of mickle might.\'b8
Spenser.
Mic"macs (?), n. pl.; sing.
Micmac (. (Ethnol.) A
tribe of Indians inhabiting Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
[Written also Mikmaks.]
Mi"co (?), n. [Sp. or Pg.
mico.] (Zo\'94l.) A small South
American monkey (Mico melanurus), allied to the
marmoset. The name was originally applied to an albino
variety.
Mi`cra*cous"tic (?), a. Same as
Microustic.
\'d8Mi*cras"ter (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. (Paleon.) A
genus of sea urchins, similar to Spatangus, abounding in the
chalk formation; -- from the starlike disposal of the ambulacral
furrows.
Mi`cren*ceph"a*lous (?), [Micr-
+ Gr. Having a small brain.
{ Mi"cro- (?), Mi"cr- }.
[Gr. A combining form
signifying: (a) Small,
little, trivial, slight; as,
microcosm, microscope. (b)
(Metric System, Elec., Mech., etc.) A
millionth part of; as, microfarad,
microohm, micrometer.
Mi`cro*am`p\'8are" (?), n.
[Micr- + amp\'8are.]
(Elec.) One of the smaller measures of electrical
currents; the millionth part of one amp\'8are.
\'d8Mi`cro*bac*te"ri*a (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Micro-, and Bacterium.]
(Biol.) In the classification of Cohn, one of the
four tribes of Bacteria.
Spherobacteria, or spherical bacteria,
as the genus Micrococcus. 2. Microbacteria,
or bacteria in the form of short rods, including the genus
Bacterium. 3. Desmobacteria, or bacteria in
straight filaments, of which the genus Bacillus is a
type. 4. Spirobacteria, or bacteria in spiral
filaments, as the genus Vibrio.
{ Mi"crobe (?), \'d8Mi*cro"bi*on
(?), } n. [NL.
microbion, fr. Gr.
(Biol.) A microscopic organism; -- particularly
applied to bacteria and especially to pathogenic forms; as,
the microbe of fowl cholera.
Mi*cro"bi*an (?), a.
(Biol.) Of, pertaining to, or caused by,
microbes; as, the microbian theory; a
microbian disease.
Mi*crob"ic (?), a.
(Biol.) Of or pertaining to a microbe.
Mi*crob"i*cide (?), n.
[Microbe + L. caedere to kill.]
(Biol.) Any agent detrimental to, or destructive
of, the life of microbes or bacterial organisms.
{ Mi`cro*ce*phal"ic (?),
Mi`cro*ceph"a*lous (?), } a.
[Micro- + cephalic,
cephalous.] (Anat.) Having a
small head; having the cranial cavity small; -- opposed to
megacephalic.
Mi`cro-chem"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to micro-chemistry; as, a micro-chemical
test.
Mi`cro-chem"is*try (?), n.
[Micro- + chemistry.] The
application of chemical tests to minute objects or portions of
matter, magnified by the use of the microscopy; -- distinguished
from macro-chemistry.
Mi`cro*chro*nom"e*ter (?), n. A
chronoscope.
Mi"cro*cline (?), n.
[Micro- + Gr.
(Min.) A mineral of the feldspar group, like
orthoclase or common feldspar in composition, but triclinic in
form.
Mi`cro*coc"cal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to micrococci; caused by micrococci.
Nature.
\'d8Mi`cro*coc"cus (?), n.; pl.
Micrococci (#). [NL. See
Micro-, and Coccus.] (Biol.)
A genus of Spherobacteria, in the form of very
small globular or oval cells, forming, by transverse division,
filaments, or chains of cells, or in some cases single organisms
shaped like dumb-bells (Diplococcus), all without the
power of motion. See Illust. of
Ascoccus.
chromogenic, characterized by their power of
forming pigment; zymogenic, including those associated
with definite chemical processes; and pathogenic,
those connected with disease.
Mi"cro*cosm (?), n. [F.
microcosme, L. microcosmus, fr. Gr. A little world; a miniature
universe. Hence (so called by Paracelsus), a man, as a supposed
epitome of the exterior universe or great world. Opposed to
macrocosm.
Shak.
{ Mi`cro*cos"mic (?),
Mi`cro*cos"mic*al (?), } a.
[Cf. F. microcosmique.] Of or
pertaining to the microcosm.
Microcosmic salt (Chem.), a white
crystalline substance obtained by mixing solutions of sodium
phosphate and ammonium phosphate, and also called
hydric-sodic-ammonic-phosphate. It is a powerful flux,
and is used as a substitute for borax as a blowpipe reagent in
testing for the metallic oxides. Originally obtained by the
alchemists from human urine, and called sal
microcosmicum.
Mi`cro*cos*mog"ra*phy (?), n.
[Microcosm + -graphy.]
Description of man as a microcosm.
Mi`cro*cou`lomb" (?), n.
[Micro- + coulomb.]
(Elec.) A measure of electrical quantity; the
millionth part of one coulomb.
Mi`cro*cous"tic (?), a.
[Micro- + acoustic: cf. F.
microcoustique, micracoustique.]
Pertaining, or suited, to the audition of small sounds;
fitted to assist hearing.
Mi`cro*cous"tic, n. An instrument for
making faint sounds audible, as to a partially deaf person.
Mi`cro*crith" (?), n.
[Micro- + crith.]
(Chem.) The weight of the half hydrogen molecule,
or of the hydrogen atom, taken as the standard in comparing the
atomic weights of the elements; thus, an atom of oxygen
weighs sixteen microcriths. See
Crith.
J. P. Cooke.
Mi`cro*crys"tal*line (?), a.
[Micro- + crystalline.]
(Crystallog.) Crystalline on a fine, or
microscopic, scale; consisting of fine crystals; as, the
ground mass of certain porphyrics is
microcrystalline.
Mi"cro*cyte (?), n.
[Micro- + Gr.
(Physiol.) One of the elementary granules found
in blood. They are much smaller than an ordinary corpuscle, and
are particularly noticeable in disease, as in an\'91mia.
Mic"ro*dont (?), a.
[Micr- + Gr.
(Anat.) Having small teeth.
Mi`cro*far"ad (?), n.
[Micro- + farad.]
(Elec.) The millionth part of a farad.
Mi"cro*form (?), n.
[Micro- + form, n.]
(Biol.) A microscopic form of life; an animal or
vegetable organism microscopic size.
Mi`cro-ge`o*log"ic*al (?), a.
Of or pertaining to micro-geology.
Mi`cro-ge*ol"o*gy (?), n.
[Micro- + geology.] The
part of geology relating to structure and organisms which require
to be studied with a microscope.
Mi"cro*graph (?), n. [See
Micrography.] An instrument for executing
minute writing or engraving.
Mi`cro*graph"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to micrography.
Mi*crog"ra*phy (?), n.
[Micro- + -graphy: cf. F.
micrographie.] The description of
microscopic objects.
Mi*crohm" (?), n.
[Micr- + ohm.]
(Elec.) The millionth part of an ohm.
\'d8Mi`cro*lep`i*dop"te*ra (?), n.
pl. [NL. See Micro-, and
Lepidoptera.] (Zo\'94l.) A tribe
of Lepidoptera, including a vast number of minute species, as the
plume moth, clothes moth, etc.
\'d8Mi`cro*les"tes (?), n.
[NL., from Gr.
(Paleon.) An extinct genus of small Triassic
mammals, the oldest yet found in European strata.
Mi"cro*lite (?), n.
[Micro- + -lite.]
(Min.)
1. A rare mineral of resinous luster and high
specific gravity. It is a tantalate of calcium, and occurs in
octahedral crystals usually very minute.
2. (Min.) A minute inclosed crystal,
often observed when minerals or rocks are examined in thin
sections under the microscope.
Mi"cro*lith (?), n.
[Micro- + lith.]
(Min.) Same as Microlite, 2.
Mi`cro*lith"ic (?), a. Formed
of small stones.
{ Mi`cro*log"ic (?),
Mi`cro*log"ic*al (?), } a.
Of or pertaining to micrology; very minute; as,
micrologic examination. --
Mi`cro*log"ic*al*ly,
adv.<-- pref. = microscopic -->
Mi*crol"o*gy (?), n.
[Micro- + -logy.]
1. That part of science which treats of microscopic
objects, or depends on microscopic observation.
2. Attention to petty items or differences.
W. Taylor.
Mi"cro*mere (?), n.
[Micro- + -mere.]
(Biol.) One of the smaller cells, or blastomeres,
resulting from the complete segmentation of a telolecithal
ovum.
Mi*crom"e*ter (?), n.
[Micro- + -meter: cf. F.
microm\'8atre.] An instrument, used with a
telescope or microscope, for measuring minute distances, or the
apparent diameters of objects which subtend minute angles. The
measurement given directly is that of the image of the object
formed at the focus of the object glass.
Circular, ,
micrometer, a metallic ring fixed in the
focus of the object glass of a telescope, and used to determine
differences of right ascension and declination between stars by
observations of the times at which the stars cross the inner or
outer periphery of the ring. -- Double image
micrometer, a micrometer in which two images of an
object are formed in the field, usually by the two halves of a
bisected lens which are movable along their line of section by a
screw, and distances are determined by the number of screw
revolutions necessary to bring the points to be measured into
optical coincidence. When the two images are formed by a bisected
objects glass, it is called a divided-object-glass
micrometer, and when the instrument is large and
equatorially mounted, it is known as a heliometer.
-- Double refraction micrometer, a species of
double image micrometer, in which the two images are formed by
the double refraction of rock crystal. -- Filar,
, micrometer. See under
Bifilar. -- Micrometer caliper
(Mech.), a caliper or
gauge with a micrometer screw, for measuring dimensions with
great accuracy. -- Micrometer head, the head
of a micrometer screw. -- Micrometer microscope,
a compound microscope combined with a filar micrometer, used
chiefly for reading and subdividing the divisions of large
astronomical and geodetical instruments. -- Micrometer
screw, a screw with a graduated head used in some forms
of micrometers. -- Position micrometer. See
under Position. -- Scale, Linear, micrometer, a minute and
very delicately graduated scale of equal parts used in the field
of a telescope or microscope, for measuring distances by direct
comparison.
{ Mi`cro*met"ric (?),
Mi`cro*met"ric*al (?), } a.
[Cf. F. microm\'82trique.] Belonging
to micrometry; made by the micrometer. --
Mi`cro*met"ric*al*ly,
adv.
Mi*crom"e*try (?), n. The art
of measuring with a micrometer.
Mi`cro*mil"li*me`ter (?), n.
[Micro- + millimeter.] The
millionth part of a meter.
Mic"ron (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
(Physics) A measure of length;
the thousandth part of one millimeter; the millionth part of a
meter.
Mi"cro*ne"sian (?), a. [From
Micronesia, fr. Gr.
Of or pertaining to Micronesia, a collective designation of
the islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, embracing
the Marshall and Gilbert groups, the Ladrones, the Carolines,
etc.
Mi`cro*ne"sians (?), n. pl.;
sing. Micronesian.
(Ethnol.) A dark race inhabiting the Micronesian
Islands. They are supposed to be a mixed race, derived from
Polynesians and Papuans.
Mi`cro*nom"e*ter (?), n.
[Micro- + chronometer.] An
instrument for noting minute portions of time.
Mi`cro*\'94r"gan*ism (?), n.
[Micro- + organism.]
(Biol.) Any microscopic form of life; --
particularly applied to bacteria and similar organisms, esp. such
are supposed to cause infectious diseases.
Mi`cro*pan"to*graph (?), n.
[Micro- + pantograph.] A
kind of pantograph which produces copies microscopically
minute.
Mi`cro*peg"ma*tite (?), n.
[Micro- + pegmatite.]
(Min.) A rock showing under the microscope the
structure of a graphic granite (pegmatite). --
Mi`cro*peg`ma*tit"ic (#),
a.
Mi"cro*phone (?), n.
[Micro- + Gr. microphone.] (Physics) An
instrument for intensifying and making audible very feeble
sounds. It produces its effects by the changes of intensity in an
electric current, occasioned by the variations in the contact
resistance of conducting bodies, especially of imperfect
conductors, under the action of acoustic vibrations.
Mi`cro*phon"ics (?), n. [See
Microphone.] The science which treats of the
means of increasing the intensity of low or weak sounds, or of
the microphone.
Mi*croph"o*nous (?), a. Serving
to augment the intensity of weak sounds; microcoustic.
Mi`cro*pho"to*graph (?), n.
[Micro- + photograph.]
1. A microscopically small photograph of a picture,
writing, printed page, etc.
2. An enlarged representation of a microscopic
object, produced by throwing upon a sensitive plate the magnified
image of an object formed by a microscope or other suitable
combination of lenses.
photomicrograph.
Mi`cro*pho*tog"ra*phy (?), n.
The art of making microphotographs.
{ Mi`croph*thal"mi*a (?),
Mi`croph*thal"my (?), } n.
[Micro- + Gr. An unnatural
smallness of the eyes, occurring as the result of disease or of
imperfect development.
Mi*croph"yl*lous (?), a.
[Micro- + Gr. (Bot.)
Small-leaved.
Mi*croph"y*tal (?), a.
(Bot.) Pertaining to, or of the nature of,
microphytes.
Mi"cro*phyte (?), n.
[Micro- + Gr. microphyte.] (Bot.) A very
minute plant, one of certain unicellular alg\'91, such as the
germs of various infectious diseases are believed to be.
Mi"cro*pyle (?), n.
[Micro- + Gr. micropyle.] (Biol.) (a)
An opening in the membranes surrounding the ovum, by which
nutrition is assisted and the entrance of the spermatozoa
permitted. (b) An opening in the outer coat
of a seed, through which the fecundating pollen enters the
ovule. -- Mi*crop"y*lar (#),
a.
Mi*cros"co*pal (?), a.
Pertaining to microscopy, or to the use of the
microscope.
Huxley.
Mi"cro*scope (?), n.
[Micro- + -scope.] An
optical instrument, consisting of a lens, or combination of
lenses, for making an enlarged image of an object which is too
minute to be viewed by the naked eye.
Compound microscope, an instrument consisting
of a combination of lenses such that the image formed by the lens
or set of lenses nearest the object (called the
objective) is magnified by another lens called the
ocular or eyepiece. --
Oxyhydrogen microscope, and Solar
microscope. See under Oxyhydrogen, and
Solar. -- Simple, ,
microscope, a single convex lens used to
magnify objects placed in its foc