7 letter word starting with a

by
Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
aaronic adjective Alt. of Aaronical
abacist noun One who uses an abacus in casting accounts; a calculator.
abactor noun One who steals and drives away cattle or beasts by herds or droves.
abaculi plural of Abaculus
abaddon noun The destroyer, or angel of the bottomless pit; — the same as Apollyon and Asmodeus., Hell; the bottomless pit.
abaiser noun Ivory black or animal charcoal.
abalone noun A univalve mollusk of the genus Haliotis. The shell is lined with mother-of-pearl, and used for ornamental purposes; the sea-ear. Several large species are found on the coast of California, clinging closely to the rocks.
abandon verb t. To cast or drive out; to banish; to expel; to reject., To give up absolutely; to forsake entirely ; to renounce utterly; to relinquish all connection with or concern on; to desert, as a person to whom one owes allegiance or fidelity; to quit; to surrender., Reflexively: To give (one’s self) up without attempt at self-control; to yield (one’s self) unrestrainedly; — often in a bad sense., To relinquish all claim to; — used when an insured person gives up to underwriters all claim to the property covered by a policy, which may remain after loss or damage by a peril insured against., Abandonment; relinquishment., A complete giving up to natural impulses; freedom from artificial constraint; careless freedom or ease.
abandum noun Anything forfeited or confiscated.
abasing present participle & vb. noun of Abase
abashed imp. & past participle of Abash
abassis noun A silver coin of Persia, worth about twenty cents.
abating present participle & vb. noun of Abate
abattis noun A means of defense formed by felled trees, the ends of whose branches are sharpened and directed outwards, or against the enemy.
abature noun Grass and sprigs beaten or trampled down by a stag passing through them.
abaxial adjective Alt. of Abaxile
abaxile adjective Away from the axis or central line; eccentric.
abdomen noun The belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis. Also, the cavity of the belly, which is lined by the peritoneum, and contains the stomach, bowels, and other viscera. In man, often restricted to the part between the diaphragm and the commencement of the pelvis, the remainder being called the pelvic cavity., The posterior section of the body, behind the thorax, in insects, crustaceans, and other Arthropoda.
abduced imp. & past participle of Abduce
abelian noun Alt. of Abelonian
abelite noun Alt. of Abelonian
abetted imp. & past participle of Abet
abettal noun Abetment.
abetter noun Alt. of Abettor
abettor noun One who abets; an instigator of an offense or an offender.
abeyant adjective Being in a state of abeyance.
abiding present participle & vb. noun of Abide, Continuing; lasting.
abietic adjective Of or pertaining to the fir tree or its products; as, abietic acid, called also sylvic acid.
abietin noun Alt. of Abietine
abigail noun A lady’s waiting-maid.
ability noun The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; — in the plural, faculty, talent.
abjudge verb t. To take away by judicial decision.
abjured imp. & past participle of Abjure
abjurer noun One who abjures.
ablepsy noun Blindness.
abluent adjective Washing away; carrying off impurities; detergent., A detergent.
aboding noun A foreboding.
abolish verb t. To do away with wholly; to annul; to make void; — said of laws, customs, institutions, governments, etc.; as, to abolish slavery, to abolish folly., To put an end to, or destroy, as a physical objects; to wipe out.
aborted adjective Brought forth prematurely., Rendered abortive or sterile; undeveloped; checked in normal development at a very early stage; as, spines are aborted branches.
abought imp. & p. p. of Aby., of Abye
abraded imp. & past participle of Abrade
abraxas noun A mystical word used as a charm and engraved on gems among the ancients; also, a gem stone thus engraved.
abreast adverb Side by side, with breasts in a line; as, “Two men could hardly walk abreast.”, Side by side; also, opposite; over against; on a line with the vessel’s beam; — with of., Up to a certain level or line; equally advanced; as, to keep abreast of [or with] the present state of science., At the same time; simultaneously.
abregge verb t. See Abridge.
abridge verb t. To make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights., To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary., To deprive; to cut off; — followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights.
abroach verb t. To set abroach; to let out, as liquor; to broach; to tap., Broached; in a condition for letting out or yielding liquor, as a cask which is tapped., Hence: In a state to be diffused or propagated; afoot; astir.
abscess noun A collection of pus or purulent matter in any tissue or organ of the body, the result of a morbid process.
abscind verb t. To cut off.
absciss noun See Abscissa.
abscond verb i. To hide, withdraw, or be concealed., To depart clandestinely; to steal off and secrete one’s self; — used especially of persons who withdraw to avoid a legal process; as, an absconding debtor., To hide; to conceal.
absence noun A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship; — opposed to presence., Want; destitution; withdrawal., Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind); as, absence of mind.
absinth noun Alt. of Absinthe
absolve verb t. To set free, or release, as from some obligation, debt, or responsibility, or from the consequences of guilt or such ties as it would be sin or guilt to violate; to pronounce free; as, to absolve a subject from his allegiance; to absolve an offender, which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment., To free from a penalty; to pardon; to remit (a sin); — said of the sin or guilt., To finish; to accomplish., To resolve or explain.
absorpt adjective Absorbed.
abstain verb i. To hold one’s self aloof; to forbear or refrain voluntarily, and especially from an indulgence of the passions or appetites; — with from., To hinder; to withhold.
abusage noun Abuse.
abusing present participle & vb. noun of Abuse
abusion verb t. Evil or corrupt usage; abuse; wrong; reproach; deception; cheat.
abusive adjective Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied., Given to misusing; also, full of abuses., Practicing abuse; prone to ill treat by coarse, insulting words or by other ill usage; as, an abusive author; an abusive fellow., Containing abuse, or serving as the instrument of abuse; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous., Tending to deceive; fraudulent; cheating.
abutted imp. & past participle of Abut
abuttal noun The butting or boundary of land, particularly at the end; a headland.
abutter noun One who, or that which, abuts. Specifically, the owner of a contiguous estate; as, the abutters on a street or a river.
abysmal adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound.
abyssal adjective Belonging to, or resembling, an abyss; unfathomable.
acacias plural of Acacia
acaciae plural of Acacia
acacine noun Gum arabic.
academe noun An academy.
academy noun A garden or grove near Athens (so named from the hero Academus), where Plato and his followers held their philosophical conferences; hence, the school of philosophy of which Plato was head., An institution for the study of higher learning; a college or a university. Popularly, a school, or seminary of learning, holding a rank between a college and a common school., A place of training; a school., A society of learned men united for the advancement of the arts and sciences, and literature, or some particular art or science; as, the French Academy; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; academies of literature and philology., A school or place of training in which some special art is taught; as, the military academy at West Point; a riding academy; the Academy of Music.
acadian adjective Of or pertaining to Acadie, or Nova Scotia., A native of Acadie.
acaleph noun Alt. of Acalephan
acantha noun A prickle., A spine or prickly fin., The vertebral column; the spinous process of a vertebra.
acanthi plural of Acanthus
acarina noun pl. The group of Arachnida which includes the mites and ticks. Many species are parasitic, and cause diseases like the itch and mange.
acarine adjective Of or caused by acari or mites; as, acarine diseases.
acaroid adjective Shaped like or resembling a mite.
acceded imp. & past participle of Accede
acceder noun One who accedes.
accidie noun Sloth; torpor.
acclaim verb t. To applaud., To declare by acclamations., To shout; as, to acclaim my joy., To shout applause., Acclamation.
acclive adjective Acclivous.
accoast verb t. & i. To lie or sail along the coast or side of; to accost.
accompt noun See Account.
account noun A reckoning; computation; calculation; enumeration; a record of some reckoning; as, the Julian account of time., A registry of pecuniary transactions; a written or printed statement of business dealings or debts and credits, and also of other things subjected to a reckoning or review; as, to keep one’s account at the bank., A statement in general of reasons, causes, grounds, etc., explanatory of some event; as, no satisfactory account has been given of these phenomena. Hence, the word is often used simply for reason, ground, consideration, motive, etc.; as, on no account, on every account, on all accounts., A statement of facts or occurrences; recital of transactions; a relation or narrative; a report; a description; as, an account of a battle., A statement and explanation or vindication of one’s conduct with reference to judgment thereon., An estimate or estimation; valuation; judgment., Importance; worth; value; advantage; profit., To reckon; to compute; to count., To place to one’s account; to put to the credit of; to assign; — with to., To value, estimate, or hold in opinion; to judge or consider; to deem., To recount; to relate., To render or receive an account or relation of particulars; as, an officer must account with or to the treasurer for money received., To render an account; to answer in judgment; — with for; as, we must account for the use of our opportunities., To give a satisfactory reason; to tell the cause of; to explain; — with for; as, idleness accounts for poverty.
accourt verb t. To treat courteously; to court.
accrete verb i. To grow together., To adhere; to grow (to); to be added; — with to., To make adhere; to add., Characterized by accretion; made up; as, accrete matter., Grown together.
accrual noun Accrument.
accrued imp. & past participle of Accrue
accruer noun The act of accruing; accretion; as, title by accruer.
accurse verb t. To devote to destruction; to imprecate misery or evil upon; to curse; to execrate; to anathematize.
accurst past participle & adjective Doomed to destruction or misery; cursed; hence, bad enough to be under the curse; execrable; detestable; exceedingly hateful; — as, an accursed deed.
accusal noun Accusation.
accused imp. & past participle of Accuse, Charged with offense; as, an accused person.
accuser noun One who accuses; one who brings a charge of crime or fault.
acephal noun One of the Acephala.
acerate noun A combination of aceric acid with a salifiable base., Acerose; needle-shaped.
acerbic adjective Sour or severe.
acerose adjective Having the nature of chaff; chaffy., Needle-shaped, having a sharp, rigid point, as the leaf of the pine.
acerous adjective Same as Acerose., Destitute of tentacles, as certain mollusks., Without antennae, as some insects.
acerval adjective Pertaining to a heap.
acetary noun An acid pulp in certain fruits, as the pear.
acetate noun A salt formed by the union of acetic acid with a base or positive radical; as, acetate of lead, acetate of potash.
acetify verb t. To convert into acid or vinegar., To turn acid.
acetize verb i. To acetify.
acetone noun A volatile liquid consisting of three parts of carbon, six of hydrogen, and one of oxygen; pyroacetic spirit, — obtained by the distillation of certain acetates, or by the destructive distillation of citric acid, starch, sugar, or gum, with quicklime.
acetose adjective Sour like vinegar; acetous.
acetous adjective Having a sour taste; sour; acid., Causing, or connected with, acetification; as, acetous fermentation.
achaean adjective Alt. of Achaian
achaian adjective Of or pertaining to Achaia in Greece; also, Grecian., A native of Achaia; a Greek.
acheron noun A river in the Nether World or infernal regions; also, the infernal regions themselves. By some of the English poets it was supposed to be a flaming lake or gulf.
achieve verb t. To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; — as, to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise., To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win., To finish; to kill.
achiote noun Seeds of the annotto tree; also, the coloring matter, annotto.
acholia noun Deficiency or want of bile.
acicula noun One of the needlelike or bristlelike spines or prickles of some animals and plants; also, a needlelike crystal.
acidify verb t. To make acid; to convert into an acid; as, to acidify sugar., To sour; to imbitter.
acidity noun The quality of being sour; sourness; tartness; sharpness to the taste; as, the acidity of lemon juice.
aciform adjective Shaped like a needle.
acinose adjective Alt. of Acinous
acinous adjective Consisting of acini, or minute granular concretions; as, acinose or acinous glands.
aciurgy noun Operative surgery.
aclinic adjective Without inclination or dipping; — said the magnetic needle balances itself horizontally, having no dip. The aclinic line is also termed the magnetic equator.
acnodal adjective Pertaining to acnodes.
acology noun Materia medica; the science of remedies.
acolyte noun One who has received the highest of the four minor orders in the Catholic church, being ordained to carry the wine and water and the lights at the Mass., One who attends; an assistant.
acolyth noun Same as Acolyte.
aconite noun The herb wolfsbane, or monkshood; — applied to any plant of the genus Aconitum (tribe Hellebore), all the species of which are poisonous., An extract or tincture obtained from Aconitum napellus, used as a poison and medicinally.
acontia noun pl. Threadlike defensive organs, composed largely of nettling cells (cnidae), thrown out of the mouth or special pores of certain Actiniae when irritated.
acorned adjective Furnished or loaded with acorns., Fed or filled with acorns.
acouchy noun A small species of agouti (Dasyprocta acouchy).
acquest noun Acquisition; the thing gained., Property acquired by purchase, gift, or otherwise than by inheritance.
acquiet verb t. To quiet.
acquire verb t. To gain, usually by one’s own exertions; to get as one’s own; as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits.
acquiry noun Acquirement.
acquist noun Acquisition; gain.
acrania noun Partial or total absence of the skull., The lowest group of Vertebrata, including the amphioxus, in which no skull exists.
acrasia noun Alt. of Acrasy
acreage noun Acres collectively; as, the acreage of a farm or a country.
acridly adverb In an acid manner.
acrisia noun Alt. of Acrisy
acritan adjective Of or pertaining to the Acrita., An individual of the Acrita.
acrobat noun One who practices rope dancing, high vaulting, or other daring gymnastic feats.
acrogen noun A plant of the highest class of cryptogams, including the ferns, etc. See Cryptogamia.
acronyc adjective Alt. of Acronychal
acroter noun Same as Acroterium.
acrotic adjective Pertaining to or affecting the surface.
acrylic adjective Of or containing acryl, the hypothetical radical of which acrolein is the hydride; as, acrylic acid.
actable adjective Capable of being acted.
actinal adjective Pertaining to the part of a radiate animal which contains the mouth.
actinia noun An animal of the class Anthozoa, and family Actinidae. From a resemblance to flowers in form and color, they are often called animal flowers and sea anemones. [See Polyp.]., A genus in the family Actinidae.
actinic adjective Of or pertaining to actinism; as, actinic rays.
actless adjective Without action or spirit.
actress noun A female actor or doer., A female stageplayer; a woman who acts a part.
actuary noun A registrar or clerk; — used originally in courts of civil law jurisdiction, but in Europe used for a clerk or registrar generally., The computing official of an insurance company; one whose profession it is to calculate for insurance companies the risks and premiums for life, fire, and other insurances.
actuate verb t. To put into action or motion; to move or incite to action; to influence actively; to move as motives do; — more commonly used of persons., To carry out in practice; to perform., Put in action; actuated.
actuose adjective Very active.
aculeus noun A prickle growing on the bark, as in some brambles and roses., A sting.
acutely adverb In an acute manner; sharply; keenly; with nice discrimination.
adactyl adjective Alt. of Adactylous
adagial adjective Pertaining to an adage; proverbial.
adamant noun A stone imagined by some to be of impenetrable hardness; a name given to the diamond and other substances of extreme hardness; but in modern mineralogy it has no technical signification. It is now a rhetorical or poetical name for the embodiment of impenetrable hardness., Lodestone; magnet.
adamite noun A descendant of Adam; a human being., One of a sect of visionaries, who, professing to imitate the state of Adam, discarded the use of dress in their assemblies.
adangle adverb Dangling.
adapted imp. & past participle of Adapt
adapter noun One who adapts., A connecting tube; an adopter.
adaptly adverb In a suitable manner.
addable adjective Addible.
addenda plural of Addendum
addible adjective Capable of being added.
addling present participle & vb. noun of Addle
address verb To aim; to direct., To prepare or make ready., Reflexively: To prepare one’s self; to apply one’s skill or energies (to some object); to betake., To clothe or array; to dress., To direct, as words (to any one or any thing); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any one, an audience)., To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to; to accost., To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit; as, he addressed a letter., To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo., To consign or intrust to the care of another, as agent or factor; as, the ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore., To prepare one’s self., To direct speech., Act of preparing one’s self., Act of addressing one’s self to a person; verbal application., A formal communication, either written or spoken; a discourse; a speech; a formal application to any one; a petition; a formal statement on some subject or special occasion; as, an address of thanks, an address to the voters., Direction or superscription of a letter, or the name, title, and place of residence of the person addressed., Manner of speaking to another; delivery; as, a man of pleasing or insinuating address., Attention in the way one’s addresses to a lady., Skill; skillful management; dexterity; adroitness.
adduced imp. & past participle of Adduce
adducer noun One who adduces.
addulce verb t. To sweeten; to soothe.
adeling noun Same as Atheling.
adenoid adjective Alt. of Adenoidal
adenose adjective Like a gland; full of glands; glandulous; adenous.
adenous adjective Same as Adenose.
adhered imp. & past participle of Adhere
adherer noun One who adheres; an adherent.
adhibit verb t. To admit, as a person or thing; to take in., To use or apply; to administer., To attach; to affix.
adipose adjective Of or pertaining to animal fat; fatty.
adipous adjective Fatty; adipose.
adjoint noun An adjunct; a helper.
adjourn verb t. To put off or defer to another day, or indefinitely; to postpone; to close or suspend for the day; — commonly said of the meeting, or the action, of convened body; as, to adjourn the meeting; to adjourn a debate., To suspend business for a time, as from one day to another, or for a longer period, or indefinitely; usually, to suspend public business, as of legislatures and courts, or other convened bodies; as, congress adjourned at four o’clock; the court adjourned without day.
adjudge verb t. To award judicially in the case of a controverted question; as, the prize was adjudged to the victor., To determine in the exercise of judicial power; to decide or award judicially; to adjudicate; as, the case was adjudged in the November term., To sentence; to condemn., To regard or hold; to judge; to deem.
adjunct adjective Conjoined; attending; consequent., Something joined or added to another thing, but not essentially a part of it., A person joined to another in some duty or service; a colleague; an associate., A word or words added to quality or amplify the force of other words; as, the History of the American Revolution, where the words in italics are the adjunct or adjuncts of “History.”, A quality or property of the body or the mind, whether natural or acquired; as, color, in the body, judgment in the mind., A key or scale closely related to another as principal; a relative or attendant key. [R.] See Attendant keys, under Attendant, a.
adjured imp. & past participle of Adjure
adjurer noun One who adjures.
adjutor noun A helper or assistant.
admiral noun A naval officer of the highest rank; a naval officer of high rank, of which there are different grades. The chief gradations in rank are admiral, vice admiral, and rear admiral. The admiral is the commander in chief of a fleet or of fleets., The ship which carries the admiral; also, the most considerable ship of a fleet., A handsome butterfly (Pyrameis Atalanta) of Europe and America. The larva feeds on nettles.
admired imp. & past participle of Admire, Regarded with wonder and delight; highly prized; as, an admired poem., Wonderful; also, admirable.
admirer noun One who admires; one who esteems or loves greatly.
adonean adjective Pertaining to Adonis; Adonic.
adonist noun One who maintains that points of the Hebrew word translated “Jehovah” are really the vowel points of the word “Adonai.” See Jehovist.
adonize verb t. To beautify; to dandify.
adopted imp. & past participle of Adopt, Taken by adoption; taken up as one’s own; as, an adopted son, citizen, country, word.
adopter noun One who adopts., A receiver, with two necks, opposite to each other, one of which admits the neck of a retort, and the other is joined to another receiver. It is used in distillations, to give more space to elastic vapors, to increase the length of the neck of a retort, or to unite two vessels whose openings have different diameters.
adoring imp. & past participle adored (/); present participle & vb. noun of Adore
adorned imp. & past participle of Adorn
adorner noun He who, or that which, adorns; a beautifier.
adpress verb t. See Appressed.
adrenal adjective Suprarenal.
adulate verb t. To flatter in a servile way.
adulter verb i. To commit adultery; to pollute.
adunque adjective Hooked; as, a parrot has an adunc bill.
adusted adjective Burnt; adust.
advance verb t. To bring forward; to move towards the van or front; to make to go on., To raise; to elevate., To raise to a higher rank; to promote., To accelerate the growth or progress; to further; to forward; to help on; to aid; to heighten; as, to advance the ripening of fruit; to advance one’s interests., To bring to view or notice; to offer or propose; to show; as, to advance an argument., To make earlier, as an event or date; to hasten., To furnish, as money or other value, before it becomes due, or in aid of an enterprise; to supply beforehand; as, a merchant advances money on a contract or on goods consigned to him., To raise to a higher point; to enhance; to raise in rate; as, to advance the price of goods., To extol; to laud., To move or go forward; to proceed; as, he advanced to greet me., To increase or make progress in any respect; as, to advance in knowledge, in stature, in years, in price., To rise in rank, office, or consequence; to be preferred or promoted., The act of advancing or moving forward or upward; progress., Improvement or progression, physically, mentally, morally, or socially; as, an advance in health, knowledge, or religion; an advance in rank or office., An addition to the price; rise in price or value; as, an advance on the prime cost of goods., The first step towards the attainment of a result; approach made to gain favor, to form an acquaintance, to adjust a difference, etc.; an overture; a tender; an offer; — usually in the plural., A furnishing of something before an equivalent is received (as money or goods), towards a capital or stock, or on loan; payment beforehand; the money or goods thus furnished; money or value supplied beforehand., Before in place, or beforehand in time; — used for advanced; as, an advance guard, or that before the main guard or body of an army; advance payment, or that made before it is due; advance proofs, advance sheets, pages of a forthcoming volume, received in advance of the time of publication.
adverse adjective Acting against, or in a contrary direction; opposed; contrary; opposite; conflicting; as, adverse winds; an adverse party; a spirit adverse to distinctions of caste., Opposite., In hostile opposition to; unfavorable; unpropitious; contrary to one’s wishes; unfortunate; calamitous; afflictive; hurtful; as, adverse fates, adverse circumstances, things adverse., To oppose; to resist.
advised imp. & past participle of Advise
adviser noun One who advises.
advowee noun One who has an advowson.
advoyer noun See Avoyer.
adynamy noun Adynamia.
aecidia plural of Aecidium
aeneous adjective Colored like bronze.
aeolian adjective Of or pertaining to Aeolia or Aeolis, in Asia Minor, colonized by the Greeks, or to its inhabitants; aeolic; as, the Aeolian dialect., Pertaining to Aeolus, the mythic god of the winds; pertaining to, or produced by, the wind; aerial.
aeonian adjective Eternal; everlasting.
aerated imp. & past participle of Aerate
aerator noun That which supplies with air; esp. an apparatus used for charging mineral waters with gas and in making soda water.
aesopic adjective Alt. of Esopic
aetites noun See Eaglestone.
affable adjective Easy to be spoken to or addressed; receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; courteous; sociable., Gracious; mild; benign.
affably adverb In an affable manner; courteously.
affiant noun One who makes an affidavit.
affinal adjective Related by marriage; from the same source.
affined adjective Joined in affinity or by any tie.
affixed imp. & past participle of Affix
affixes plural of Affix
afflict verb t. To strike or cast down; to overthrow., To inflict some great injury or hurt upon, causing continued pain or mental distress; to trouble grievously; to torment., To make low or humble., Afflicted.
afforce verb t. To reenforce; to strengthen.
affront verb t. To front; to face in position; to meet or encounter face to face., To face in defiance; to confront; as, to affront death; hence, to meet in hostile encounter., To offend by some manifestation of disrespect; to insult to the face by demeanor or language; to treat with marked incivility., An encounter either friendly or hostile., Contemptuous or rude treatment which excites or justifies resentment; marked disrespect; a purposed indignity; insult., An offense to one’s self-respect; shame.
affused imp. & past participle of Affuse
affying present participle of Affy
aflaunt adverb & adjective In a flaunting state or position.
african adjective Of or pertaining to Africa., A native of Africa; also one ethnologically belonging to an African race.
aftmost adjective Nearest the stern.
aftward adverb Toward the stern.
against preposition Abreast; opposite to; facing; towards; as, against the mouth of a river; — in this sense often preceded by over., From an opposite direction so as to strike or come in contact with; in contact with; upon; as, hail beats against the roof., In opposition to, whether the opposition is of sentiment or of action; on the other side; counter to; in contrariety to; hence, adverse to; as, against reason; against law; to run a race against time., By of before the time that; in preparation for; so as to be ready for the time when.
agalaxy noun Failure of the due secretion of milk after childbirth.
agamist noun An unmarried person; also, one opposed to marriage.
agamous adjective Having no visible sexual organs; asexual., cryptogamous.
agatine adjective Pertaining to, or like, agate.
agatize verb t. To convert into agate; to make resemble agate.
ageless adjective Without old age limits of duration; as, fountains of ageless youth.
agendum noun Something to be done; in the pl., a memorandum book., A church service; a ritual or liturgy. [In this sense, usually Agenda.]
aggrace verb t. To favor; to grace., Grace; favor.
aggrate adjective To please.
aggrege verb t. To make heavy; to aggravate.
aggress verb i. To commit the first act of hostility or offense; to begin a quarrel or controversy; to make an attack; — with on., To set upon; to attack., Aggression.
aggroup verb t. To bring together in a group; to group.
agilely adverb In an agile manner; nimbly.
agility noun The quality of being agile; the power of moving the limbs quickly and easily; nimbleness; activity; quickness of motion; as, strength and agility of body., Activity; powerful agency.
agister noun Alt. of Agistor
agistor noun Formerly, an officer of the king’s forest, who had the care of cattle agisted, and collected the money for the same; — hence called gisttaker, which in England is corrupted into guest-taker., Now, one who agists or takes in cattle to pasture at a certain rate; a pasturer.
agitate verb t. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel., To move or actuate., To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated., To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated., To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.
agitato adjective Sung or played in a restless, hurried, and spasmodic manner.
agminal adjective Pertaining to an army marching, or to a train.
agnatic adjective Pertaining to descent by the male line of ancestors.
agnomen noun An additional or fourth name given by the Romans, on account of some remarkable exploit or event; as, Publius Caius Scipio Africanus., An additional name, or an epithet appended to a name; as, Aristides the Just.
agnuses plural of Agnus
agonism noun Contention for a prize; a contest.
agonist noun One who contends for the prize in public games.
agonize verb i. To writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish., To struggle; to wrestle; to strive desperately., To cause to suffer agony; to subject to extreme pain; to torture.
agonies plural of Agony
agouara noun The crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus), found in the tropical parts of America.
agraffe noun A hook or clasp., A hook, eyelet, or other device by which a piano wire is so held as to limit the vibration.
aground adverb & adjective On the ground; stranded; — a nautical term applied to a ship when its bottom lodges on the ground.
agynous adjective Without female organs; male.
aheight adverb Aloft; on high.
ahriman noun The Evil Principle or Being of the ancient Persians; the Prince of Darkness as opposer to Ormuzd, the King of Light.
aiblins adverb Alt. of Ablins
aidance noun Aid.
aidless adjective Helpless; without aid.
aigulet noun See Aglet.
ailette noun A small square shield, formerly worn on the shoulders of knights, — being the prototype of the modern epaulet.
ailment noun Indisposition; morbid affection of the body; — not applied ordinarily to acute diseases.
aimless adjective Without aim or purpose; as, an aimless life.
air bed A sack or matters inflated with air, and used as a bed.
air gas See under Gas.
air gun A kind of gun in which the elastic force of condensed air is used to discharge the ball. The air is powerfully compressed into a reservoir attached to the gun, by a condensing pump, and is controlled by a valve actuated by the trigger.
airless adjective Not open to a free current of air; wanting fresh air, or communication with the open air.
airlike adjective Resembling air.
airling noun A thoughtless, gay person.
air sac One of the spaces in different parts of the bodies of birds, which are filled with air and connected with the air passages of the lungs; an air cell.
airward adverb Alt. of Airwards
aisless adjective Without an aisle.
ajutage noun A tube through which water is discharged; an efflux tube; as, the ajutage of a fountain.
alamire noun The lowest note but one in Guido Aretino’s scale of music.
alamode adverb & adjective According to the fashion or prevailing mode., A thin, black silk for hoods, scarfs, etc.; — often called simply mode.
alamort adjective To the death; mortally.
alanine noun A white crystalline base, C3H7NO2, derived from aldehyde ammonia.
alantin noun See Inulin.
alarmed imp. & past participle of Alarm, Aroused to vigilance; excited by fear of approaching danger; agitated; disturbed; as, an alarmed neighborhood; an alarmed modesty.
alatern noun Alt. of Alaternus
alation noun The state of being winged.
albinos plural of Albino
alborak noun The imaginary milk-white animal on which Mohammed was said to have been carried up to heaven; a white mule.
albumen noun The white of an egg., Nourishing matter stored up within the integuments of the seed in many plants, but not incorporated in the embryo. It is the floury part in corn, wheat, and like grains, the oily part in poppy seeds, the fleshy part in the cocoanut, etc., Same as Albumin.
albumin noun A thick, viscous nitrogenous substance, which is the chief and characteristic constituent of white of eggs and of the serum of blood, and is found in other animal substances, both fluid and solid, also in many plants. It is soluble in water and is coagulated by heat and by certain chemical reagents.
alcayde noun A commander of a castle or fortress among the Spaniards, Portuguese, and Moors., The warden, or keeper of a jail., Same as Alcaid.
alcalde noun A magistrate or judge in Spain and in Spanish America, etc.
alcanna noun An oriental shrub (Lawsonia inermis) from which henna is obtained.
alcazar noun A fortress; also, a royal palace.
alchemy noun An imaginary art which aimed to transmute the baser metals into gold, to find the panacea, or universal remedy for diseases, etc. It led the way to modern chemistry., A mixed metal composed mainly of brass, formerly used for various utensils; hence, a trumpet., Miraculous power of transmuting something common into something precious.
alchymy noun See Alchemic, Alchemist, Alchemistic, Alchemy.
alcoate noun Alt. of Alcohate
alcohol noun An impalpable powder., The fluid essence or pure spirit obtained by distillation., Pure spirit of wine; pure or highly rectified spirit (called also ethyl alcohol); the spirituous or intoxicating element of fermented or distilled liquors, or more loosely a liquid containing it in considerable quantity. It is extracted by simple distillation from various vegetable juices and infusions of a saccharine nature, which have undergone vinous fermentation., A class of compounds analogous to vinic alcohol in constitution. Chemically speaking, they are hydroxides of certain organic radicals; as, the radical ethyl forms common or ethyl alcohol (C2H5.OH); methyl forms methyl alcohol (CH3.OH) or wood spirit; amyl forms amyl alcohol (C5H11.OH) or fusel oil, etc.
alcoran noun The Mohammedan Scriptures; the Koran (now the usual form).
alecost noun The plant costmary, which was formerly much used for flavoring ale.
alehoof noun Ground ivy (Nepeta Glechoma).
alembic noun An apparatus formerly used in distillation, usually made of glass or metal. It has mostly given place to the retort and worm still.
alength adverb At full length; lengthwise.
alepole noun A pole set up as the sign of an alehouse.
alertly adverb In an alert manner; nimbly.
aleutic adjective Of or pertaining to a chain of islands between Alaska and Kamtchatka; also, designating these islands.
alewife noun A woman who keeps an alehouse., A North American fish (Clupea vernalis) of the Herring family. It is called also ellwife, ellwhop, branch herring. The name is locally applied to other related species.
alfalfa noun The lucern (Medicago sativa); — so called in California, Texas, etc.
alferes noun An ensign; a standard bearer.
alfione noun An edible marine fish of California (Rhacochilus toxotes).
algarot noun Alt. of Algaroth
algates adverb Always; wholly; everywhere., By any or means; at all events., Notwithstanding; yet.
algazel noun The true gazelle.
algebra noun That branch of mathematics which treats of the relations and properties of quantity by means of letters and other symbols. It is applicable to those relations that are true of every kind of magnitude., A treatise on this science.
algific adjective Producing cold.
alhenna noun See Henna.
aliases plural of Alias
alicant noun A kind of wine, formerly much esteemed; — said to have been made near Alicant, in Spain.
alidade noun The portion of a graduated instrument, as a quadrant or astrolabe, carrying the sights or telescope, and showing the degrees cut off on the arc of the instrument
alienee noun One to whom the title of property is transferred; — opposed to alienor.
alienor noun One who alienates or transfers property to another.
aliform adjective Wing-shaped; winglike.
aliment noun That which nourishes; food; nutriment; anything which feeds or adds to a substance in natural growth. Hence: The necessaries of life generally: sustenance; means of support., An allowance for maintenance., To nourish; to support., To provide for the maintenance of.
alimony noun Maintenance; means of living., An allowance made to a wife out of her husband’s estate or income for her support, upon her divorce or legal separation from him, or during a suit for the same.
aliquot adjective An aliquot part of a number or quantity is one which will divide it without a remainder; thus, 5 is an aliquot part of 15. Opposed to aliquant.
aliunde adverb & adjective From another source; from elsewhere; as, a case proved aliunde; evidence aliunde.
alizari noun The madder of the Levant.
alkalis plural of Alkali
alkanet noun A dyeing matter extracted from the roots of Alkanna tinctoria, which gives a fine deep red color., A boraginaceous herb (Alkanna tinctoria) yielding the dye; orchanet., The similar plant Anchusa officinalis; bugloss; also, the American puccoon.
alkazar See Alcazar.
alkoran noun The Mohammedan Scriptures. Same as Alcoran and Koran.
allayed imp. & past participle of Allay
allayer noun One who, or that which, allays.
alledge verb t. See Allege.
alleged imp. & past participle of Allege
alleger noun One who affirms or declares.
allegge verb t. See Alegge and Allay.
allegro adjective Brisk, lively., An allegro movement; a quick, sprightly strain or piece.
alleyed adjective Furnished with alleys; forming an alley.
allheal noun A name popularly given to the officinal valerian, and to some other plants.
alliant noun An ally; a confederate.
allness noun Totality; completeness.
allonge verb A thrust or pass; a lunge., A slip of paper attached to a bill of exchange for receiving indorsements, when the back of the bill itself is already full; a rider., To thrust with a sword; to lunge.
allonym noun The name of another person assumed by the author of a work., A work published under the name of some one other than the author.
alloquy noun A speaking to another; an address.
allowed imp. & past participle of Allow
allower noun An approver or abettor., One who allows or permits.
alloxan noun An oxidation product of uric acid. It is of a pale reddish color, readily soluble in water or alcohol.
alloyed imp. & past participle of Alloy
alluded imp. & past participle of Allude, of Allure
allurer noun One who, or that which, allures.
alluvia plural of Alluvium
allwork noun Domestic or other work of all kinds; as, a maid of allwork, that is, a general servant.
allying present participle & vb. noun of Ally
almadia noun Alt. of Almadie
almadie noun A bark canoe used by the Africans., A boat used at Calicut, in India, about eighty feet long, and six or seven broad.
almagra noun A fine, deep red ocher, somewhat purplish, found in Spain. It is the sil atticum of the ancients. Under the name of Indian red it is used for polishing glass and silver.
almayne noun Alt. of Alman
almanac noun A book or table, containing a calendar of days, and months, to which astronomical data and various statistics are often added, such as the times of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, eclipses, hours of full tide, stated festivals of churches, terms of courts, etc.
almesse noun See Alms.
almoner noun One who distributes alms, esp. the doles and alms of religious houses, almshouses, etc.; also, one who dispenses alms for another, as the almoner of a prince, bishop, etc.
almonry noun The place where an almoner resides, or where alms are distributed.
almsman noun A recipient of alms., A giver of alms.
alnager noun A measure by the ell; formerly a sworn officer in England, whose duty was to inspect and measure woolen cloth, and fix upon it a seal.
aloetic adjective Consisting chiefly of aloes; of the nature of aloes., A medicine containing chiefly aloes.
alogian noun One of an ancient sect who rejected St. John’s Gospel and the Apocalypse, which speak of Christ as the Logos.
alonely adverb Only; merely; singly., Exclusive.
alongst preposition & adverb Along.
alopecy noun Loss of the hair; baldness.
already adverb Prior to some specified time, either past, present, or future; by this time; previously.
altaian adjective Alt. of Altaic
altered imp. & past participle of Alter
althaea noun Alt. of Althea
althorn noun An instrument of the saxhorn family, used exclusively in military music, often replacing the French horn.
alumina noun One of the earths, consisting of two parts of aluminium and three of oxygen, Al2O3.
alumine noun Alumina.
alumish adjective Somewhat like alum.
alumnae plural of Alumna
alumnus noun A pupil; especially, a graduate of a college or other seminary of learning.
alunite noun Alum stone.
alveary noun A beehive, or something resembling a beehive., The hollow of the external ear.
alveole noun Same as Alveolus.
alveoli plural of Alveolus
alyssum noun A genus of cruciferous plants; madwort. The sweet alyssum (A. maritimum), cultivated for bouquets, bears small, white, sweet-scented flowers.
amalgam noun An alloy of mercury with another metal or metals; as, an amalgam of tin, bismuth, etc., A mixture or compound of different things., A native compound of mercury and silver., To amalgamate.
amarant noun Amaranth, 1.
amarine noun A characteristic crystalline substance, obtained from oil of bitter almonds.
amassed imp. & past participle of Amass
amasser noun One who amasses.
amateur noun A person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science as to music or painting; esp. one who cultivates any study or art, from taste or attachment, without pursuing it professionally.
amative adjective Full of love; amatory.
amatory adjective Pertaining to, producing, or expressing, sexual love; as, amatory potions.
amazing present participle & vb. noun of Amaze, Causing amazement; very wonderful; as, amazing grace.
ambages noun pl. A circuit; a winding. Hence: Circuitous way or proceeding; quibble; circumlocution; indirect mode of speech.
ambassy noun See Embassy, the usual spelling.
ambered past participle & p. adjective of Amber
ambient adjective Encompassing on all sides; circumfused; investing., Something that surrounds or invests; as, air . . . being a perpetual ambient.
ambitus noun The exterior edge or border of a thing, as the border of a leaf, or the outline of a bivalve shell., A canvassing for votes.
ambling present participle & vb. noun of Amble
ambreic adjective Of or pertaining to ambrein; — said of a certain acid produced by digesting ambrein in nitric acid.
ambrein noun A fragrant substance which is the chief constituent of ambergris.
ambrite noun A fossil resin occurring in large masses in New Zealand.
ambrose noun A sweet-scented herb; ambrosia. See Ambrosia, 3.
ambries plural of Ambry
amburry noun Same as Anbury.
amebean adjective See Am/bean.
amenage verb t. To manage.
amended imp. & past participle of Amend
amender noun One who amends.
amenity noun The quality of being pleasant or agreeable, whether in respect to situation, climate, manners, or disposition; pleasantness; civility; suavity; gentleness.
amentia noun Imbecility; total want of understanding.
amentum noun Same as Ament.
amenuse verb t. To lessen.
amerced imp. & past participle of Amerce
amercer noun One who amerces.
amharic adjective Of or pertaining to Amhara, a division of Abyssinia; as, the Amharic language is closely allied to the Ethiopic., The Amharic language (now the chief language of Abyssinia).
amiable adjective Lovable; lovely; pleasing., Friendly; kindly; sweet; gracious; as, an amiable temper or mood; amiable ideas., Possessing sweetness of disposition; having sweetness of temper, kind-heartedness, etc., which causes one to be liked; as, an amiable woman., Done out of love.
amiably adverb In an amiable manner.
amianth noun See Amianthus.
amities plural of Amity
ammeter noun A contraction of amperometer or amperemeter.
ammiral noun An obsolete form of admiral.
ammonia noun A gaseous compound of hydrogen and nitrogen, NH3, with a pungent smell and taste: — often called volatile alkali, and spirits of hartshorn.
ammonic adjective Of or pertaining to ammonia.
amnesia noun Forgetfulness; also, a defect of speech, from cerebral disease, in which the patient substitutes wrong words or names in the place of those he wishes to employ.
amnesic adjective Of or pertaining to amnesia.
amnesty verb Forgetfulness; cessation of remembrance of wrong; oblivion., An act of the sovereign power granting oblivion, or a general pardon, for a past offense, as to subjects concerned in an insurrection., To grant amnesty to.
amniota noun pl. That group of vertebrates which develops in its embryonic life the envelope called the amnion. It comprises the reptiles, the birds, and the mammals.
amoebae plural of Amoeba
amoebas plural of Amoeba
amoebea noun pl. That division of the Rhizopoda which includes the amoeba and similar forms.
amongst preposition Mixed or mingled; surrounded by., Conjoined, or associated with, or making part of the number of; in the number or class of., Expressing a relation of dispersion, distribution, etc.; also, a relation of reciprocal action.
amorist noun A lover; a gallant.
amorosa noun A wanton woman; a courtesan.
amoroso noun A lover; a man enamored., In a soft, tender, amatory style.
amorous adjective Inclined to love; having a propensity to love, or to sexual enjoyment; loving; fond; affectionate; as, an amorous disposition., Affected with love; in love; enamored; — usually with of; formerly with on., Of or relating to, or produced by, love.
amorpha noun A genus of leguminous shrubs, having long clusters of purple flowers; false or bastard indigo.
amorphy noun Shapelessness.
amotion noun Removal; ousting; especially, the removal of a corporate officer from his office., Deprivation of possession.
amphora noun Among the ancients, a two-handled vessel, tapering at the bottom, used for holding wine, oil, etc.
amplify verb t. To render larger, more extended, or more intense, and the like; — used especially of telescopes, microscopes, etc., To enlarge by addition or discussion; to treat copiously by adding particulars, illustrations, etc.; to expand; to make much of., To become larger., To speak largely or copiously; to be diffuse in argument or description; to dilate; to expatiate; — often with on or upon.
ampulla noun A narrow-necked vessel having two handles and bellying out like a jug., A cruet for the wine and water at Mass., The vase in which the holy oil for chrism, unction, or coronation is kept., Any membranous bag shaped like a leathern bottle, as the dilated end of a vessel or duct; especially the dilations of the semicircular canals of the ear.
amusing present participle & vb. noun of Amuse, Giving amusement; diverting; as, an amusing story.
amusive adjective Having power to amuse or entertain the mind; fitted to excite mirth.
amylate noun A compound of the radical amyl with oxygen and a positive atom or radical.
amylene noun One of a group of metameric hydrocarbons, C5H10, of the ethylene series. The colorless, volatile, mobile liquid commonly called amylene is a mixture of different members of the group.
amyloid adjective Alt. of Amyloidal, A non-nitrogenous starchy food; a starchlike substance., The substance deposited in the organs in amyloid degeneration.
amylose noun One of the starch group (C6H10O5)n of the carbohydrates; as, starch, arabin, dextrin, cellulose, etc.
anadrom noun A fish that leaves the sea and ascends rivers.
anaemia adjective A morbid condition in which the blood is deficient in quality or in quantity.
anaemic adjective Of or pertaining to anaemia.
anagoge noun An elevation of mind to things celestial., The spiritual meaning or application; esp. the application of the types and allegories of the Old Testament to subjects of the New.
anagogy noun Same as Anagoge.
anagram noun Literally, the letters of a word read backwards, but in its usual wider sense, the change or one word or phrase into another by the transposition of its letters. Thus Galenus becomes angelus; William Noy (attorney-general to Charles I., and a laborious man) may be turned into I moyl in law., To anagrammatize.
analogy noun A resemblance of relations; an agreement or likeness between things in some circumstances or effects, when the things are otherwise entirely different. Thus, learning enlightens the mind, because it is to the mind what light is to the eye, enabling it to discover things before hidden., A relation or correspondence in function, between organs or parts which are decidedly different., Proportion; equality of ratios., Conformity of words to the genius, structure, or general rules of a language; similarity of origin, inflection, or principle of pronunciation, and the like, as opposed to anomaly.
analyse noun Alt. of Analyser
analyst noun One who analyzes; formerly, one skilled in algebraical geometry; now commonly, one skilled in chemical analysis.
analyze verb t. To subject to analysis; to resolve (anything complex) into its elements; to separate into the constituent parts, for the purpose of an examination of each separately; to examine in such a manner as to ascertain the elements or nature of the thing examined; as, to analyze a fossil substance; to analyze a sentence or a word; to analyze an action to ascertain its morality.
anamese adjective Of or pertaining to Anam, to southeastern Asia., A native of Anam.
anapest noun A metrical foot consisting of three syllables, the first two short, or unaccented, the last long, or accented (/ / -); the reverse of the dactyl. In Latin d/-/-tas, and in English in-ter-vene#, are examples of anapests., A verse composed of such feet.
anarchy noun Absence of government; the state of society where there is no law or supreme power; a state of lawlessness; political confusion., Hence, confusion or disorder, in general.
anatifa noun An animal of the barnacle tribe, of the genus Lepas, having a fleshy stem or peduncle; a goose barnacle. See Cirripedia.
anatine adjective Of or pertaining to the ducks; ducklike.
anatomy noun The art of dissecting, or artificially separating the different parts of any organized body, to discover their situation, structure, and economy; dissection., The science which treats of the structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization., A treatise or book on anatomy., The act of dividing anything, corporeal or intellectual, for the purpose of examining its parts; analysis; as, the anatomy of a discourse., A skeleton; anything anatomized or dissected, or which has the appearance of being so.
anatron noun Native carbonate of soda; natron., Glass gall or sandiver., Saltpeter.
anchovy noun A small fish, about three inches in length, of the Herring family (Engraulis encrasicholus), caught in vast numbers in the Mediterranean, and pickled for exportation. The name is also applied to several allied species.
ancient adjective Old; that happened or existed in former times, usually at a great distance of time; belonging to times long past; specifically applied to the times before the fall of the Roman empire; — opposed to modern; as, ancient authors, literature, history; ancient days., Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle., Known for a long time, or from early times; — opposed to recent or new; as, the ancient continent., Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable., Experienced; versed., Former; sometime., Those who lived in former ages, as opposed to the moderns., An aged man; a patriarch. Hence: A governor; a ruler; a person of influence., A senior; an elder; a predecessor., One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery., An ensign or flag., The bearer of a flag; an ensign.
ancille noun A maidservant; a handmaid.
ancones plural of Ancon
anconal adjective Alt. of Anconeal
andante adjective Moving moderately slow, but distinct and flowing; quicker than larghetto, and slower than allegretto., A movement or piece in andante time.
andarac noun Red orpiment.
andiron noun A utensil for supporting wood when burning in a fireplace, one being placed on each side; a firedog; as, a pair of andirons.
android noun Alt. of Androides, Resembling a man.
androus A terminal combining form: Having a stamen or stamens; staminate; as, monandrous, with one stamen; polyandrous, with many stamens.
anelace noun Same as Anlace.
anemone noun A genus of plants of the Ranunculus or Crowfoot family; windflower. Some of the species are cultivated in gardens., The sea anemone. See Actinia, and Sea anemone.
anemony noun See Anemone.
aneroid adjective Containing no liquid; — said of a kind of barometer., An aneroid barometer.
anethol noun A substance obtained from the volatile oils of anise, fennel, etc., in the form of soft shining scales; — called also anise camphor.
angelet noun A small gold coin formerly current in England; a half angel.
angelic adjective Alt. of Angelical, Of or derived from angelica; as, angelic acid; angelic ether.
angelot noun A French gold coin of the reign of Louis XI., bearing the image of St. Michael; also, a piece coined at Paris by the English under Henry VI., An instrument of music, of the lute kind, now disused., A sort of small, rich cheese, made in Normandy.
angelus noun A form of devotion in which three Ave Marias are repeated. It is said at morning, noon, and evening, at the sound of a bell., The Angelus bell.
angered imp. & past participle of Anger
angerly adverb Angrily.
angioma noun A tumor composed chiefly of dilated blood vessels.
angling present participle & vb. noun of Angle, The act of one who angles; the art of fishing with rod and line.
anglian adjective Of or pertaining to the Angles., One of the Angles.
anglice adverb In English; in the English manner; as, Livorno, Anglice Leghorn.
anglify verb t. To convert into English; to anglicize.
angrily adverb In an angry manner; under the influence of anger.
anguine adjective Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a snake or serpent.
anguish noun Extreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress., To distress with extreme pain or grief.
angular adjective Relating to an angle or to angles; having an angle or angles; forming an angle or corner; sharp-cornered; pointed; as, an angular figure., Measured by an angle; as, angular distance., Fig.: Lean; lank; raw-boned; ungraceful; sharp and stiff in character; as, remarkably angular in his habits and appearance; an angular female., A bone in the base of the lower jaw of many birds, reptiles, and fishes.
anhinga noun An aquatic bird of the southern United States (Platus anhinga); the darter, or snakebird.
annicut noun A dam or mole made in the course of a stream for the purpose of regulating the flow of a system of irrigation.
anights adverb In the night time; at night.
anilide noun One of a class of compounds which may be regarded as amides in which more or less of the hydrogen has been replaced by phenyl.
aniline noun An organic base belonging to the phenylamines. It may be regarded as ammonia in which one hydrogen atom has been replaced by the radical phenyl. It is a colorless, oily liquid, originally obtained from indigo by distillation, but now largely manufactured from coal tar or nitrobenzene as a base from which many brilliant dyes are made., Made from, or of the nature of, aniline.
anility noun The state of being and old woman; old-womanishness; dotage.
animate verb t. To give natural life to; to make alive; to quicken; as, the soul animates the body., To give powers to, or to heighten the powers or effect of; as, to animate a lyre., To give spirit or vigor to; to stimulate or incite; to inspirit; to rouse; to enliven., Endowed with life; alive; living; animated; lively.
animism noun The doctrine, taught by Stahl, that the soul is the proper principle of life and development in the body., The belief that inanimate objects and the phenomena of nature are endowed with personal life or a living soul; also, in an extended sense, the belief in the existence of soul or spirit apart from matter.
animist noun One who maintains the doctrine of animism.
animose adjective Alt. of Animous
animous adjective Full of spirit; hot; vehement; resolute.
aniseed noun The seed of the anise; also, a cordial prepared from it.
annates noun pl. The first year’s profits of a spiritual preferment, anciently paid by the clergy to the pope; first fruits. In England, they now form a fund for the augmentation of poor livings.
annelid adjective Alt. of Annelidan
annexed imp. & past participle of Annex
annexer noun One who annexes.
annotto noun Alt. of Arnotto
arnotto noun A red or yellowish-red dyeing material, prepared from the pulp surrounding the seeds of a tree (Bixa orellana) belonging to the tropical regions of America. It is used for coloring cheese, butter, etc., Same as Annotto.
annoyed imp. & past participle of Annoy
annoyer noun One who, or that which, annoys.
annuary adjective Annual., A yearbook.
annuent adjective Nodding; as, annuent muscles (used in nodding).
annuity noun A sum of money, payable yearly, to continue for a given number of years, for life, or forever; an annual allowance.
annular adjective Pertaining to, or having the form of, a ring; forming a ring; ringed; ring-shaped; as, annular fibers., Banded or marked with circles.
annulet noun A little ring., A small, flat fillet, encircling a column, etc., used by itself, or with other moldings. It is used, several times repeated, under the Doric capital., A little circle borne as a charge., A narrow circle of some distinct color on a surface or round an organ.
annulus noun A ring; a ringlike part or space., A space contained between the circumferences of two circles, one within the other., The solid formed by a circle revolving around a line which is the plane of the circle but does not cut it., Ring-shaped structures or markings, found in, or upon, various animals.
anodyne adjective Serving to assuage pain; soothing., Any medicine which allays pain, as an opiate or narcotic; anything that soothes disturbed feelings.
anomaly noun Deviation from the common rule; an irregularity; anything anomalous., The angular distance of a planet from its perihelion, as seen from the sun. This is the true anomaly. The eccentric anomaly is a corresponding angle at the center of the elliptic orbit of the planet. The mean anomaly is what the anomaly would be if the planet’s angular motion were uniform., The angle measuring apparent irregularities in the motion of a planet., Any deviation from the essential characteristics of a specific type.
anomura noun pl. Alt. of Anomoura
anopsia adjective Alt. of Anopsy
anorexy noun Want of appetite, without a loathing of food.
anormal adjective Not according to rule; abnormal.
anosmia noun Loss of the sense of smell.
another pronoun & adjective One more, in addition to a former number; a second or additional one, similar in likeness or in effect., Not the same; different., Any or some; any different person, indefinitely; any one else; some one else.
ansated adjective Having a handle.
anseres noun pl. A Linnaean order of aquatic birds swimming by means of webbed feet, as the duck, or of lobed feet, as the grebe. In this order were included the geese, ducks, auks, divers, gulls, petrels, etc.
antacid noun A remedy for acidity of the stomach, as an alkali or absorbent., Counteractive of acidity.
antaean adjective Pertaining to Antaeus, a giant athlete slain by Hercules.
antares noun The principal star in Scorpio: — called also the Scorpion’s Heart.
anteact noun A preceding act.
antefix noun An ornament fixed upon a frieze., An ornament at the eaves, concealing the ends of the joint tiles of the roof., An ornament of the cymatium of a classic cornice, sometimes pierced for the escape of water.
ant egg One of the small white egg-shaped pupae or cocoons of the ant, often seen in or about ant-hills, and popularly supposed to be eggs.
antenna noun A movable, articulated organ of sensation, attached to the heads of insects and Crustacea. There are two in the former, and usually four in the latter. They are used as organs of touch, and in some species of Crustacea the cavity of the ear is situated near the basal joint. In insects, they are popularly called horns, and also feelers. The term in also applied to similar organs on the heads of other arthropods and of annelids.
antero- A combining form meaning anterior, front; as, antero-posterior, front and back; antero-lateral, front side, anterior and at the side.
anthoid adjective Resembling a flower; flowerlike.
anthrax noun A carbuncle., A malignant pustule., A microscopic, bacterial organism (Bacillus anthracis), resembling transparent rods. [See Illust. under Bacillus.], An infectious disease of cattle and sheep. It is ascribed to the presence of a rod-shaped bacterium (Bacillus anthracis), the spores of which constitute the contagious matter. It may be transmitted to man by inoculation. The spleen becomes greatly enlarged and filled with bacteria. Called also splenic fever.
antickt of Antic
anticly adverb Oddly; grotesquely.
anticor noun A dangerous inflammatory swelling of a horse’s breast, just opposite the heart.
antique adjective Old; ancient; of genuine antiquity; as, an antique statue. In this sense it usually refers to the flourishing ages of Greece and Rome., Old, as respects the present age, or a modern period of time; of old fashion; antiquated; as, an antique robe., Made in imitation of antiquity; as, the antique style of Thomson’s “Castle of Indolence.”, Odd; fantastic., In general, anything very old; but in a more limited sense, a relic or object of ancient art; collectively, the antique, the remains of ancient art, as busts, statues, paintings, and vases.
antilae plural of Antlia
antoeci noun pl Alt. of Antoecians
antonym noun A word of opposite meaning; a counterterm; — used as a correlative of synonym.
anurous adjective Destitute of a tail, as the frogs and toads.
anxiety noun Concern or solicitude respecting some thing or event, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness., Eager desire., A state of restlessness and agitation, often with general indisposition and a distressing sense of oppression at the epigastrium.
anxious adjective Full of anxiety or disquietude; greatly concerned or solicitous, esp. respecting something future or unknown; being in painful suspense; — applied to persons; as, anxious for the issue of a battle., Accompanied with, or causing, anxiety; worrying; — applied to things; as, anxious labor., Earnestly desirous; as, anxious to please.
anybody noun Any one out of an indefinite number of persons; anyone; any person., A person of consideration or standing.
anyways adverb Anywise; at all.
anywise adverb In any wise or way; at all.
apaches noun pl. A group of nomadic North American Indians including several tribes native of Arizona, New Mexico, etc.
apagoge noun An indirect argument which proves a thing by showing the impossibility or absurdity of the contrary.
apanage noun Same as Appanage.
aparejo noun A kind of pack saddle used in the American military service and among the Spanish Americans. It is made of leather stuffed with hay, moss, or the like.
apatite noun Native phosphate of lime, occurring usually in six-sided prisms, color often pale green, transparent or translucent.
apehood noun The state of being an ape.
apertly adverb Openly; clearly.
aperies plural of Apery
aphakia noun An anomalous state of refraction caused by the absence of the crystalline lens, as after operations for cataract. The remedy is the use of powerful convex lenses.
aphasia noun Alt. of Aphasy
aphasic adjective Pertaining to, or affected by, aphasia; speechless.
aphelia plural of Aphelion
aphemia noun Loss of the power of speaking, while retaining the power of writing; — a disorder of cerebral origin.
aphesis noun The loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word; — the result of a phonetic process; as, squire for esquire.
aphetic adjective Shortened by dropping a letter or a syllable from the beginning of a word; as, an aphetic word or form.
aphides noun pl. See Aphis., of Aphis
aphonia noun Alt. of Aphony
aphonic adjective Alt. of Aphonous
aphrite noun See under Calcite.
aphthae noun pl. Roundish pearl-colored specks or flakes in the mouth, on the lips, etc., terminating in white sloughs. They are commonly characteristic of thrush.
apician adjective Belonging to Apicius, a notorious Roman epicure; hence applied to whatever is peculiarly refined or dainty and expensive in cookery.
apieces adverb In pieces or to pieces.
apishly adverb In an apish manner; with servile imitation; foppishly.
apitpat adverb With quick beating or palpitation; pitapat.
aplysia noun A genus of marine mollusks of the order Tectibranchiata; the sea hare. Some of the species when disturbed throw out a deep purple liquor, which colors the water to some distance. See Illust. in Appendix.
apocope noun The cutting off, or omission, of the last letter, syllable, or part of a word., A cutting off; abscission.
apodeme noun One of the processes of the shell which project inwards and unite with one another, in the thorax of many Crustacea.
apodous adjective Apodal; apod.
apogaic adjective Apogean.
apogamy noun The formation of a bud in place of a fertilized ovule or oospore.
apogeal adjective Apogean.
apogean adjective Connected with the apogee; as, apogean (neap) tides, which occur when the moon has passed her apogee.
apohyal adjective Of or pertaining to a portion of the horn of the hyoid bone.
apology noun Something said or written in defense or justification of what appears to others wrong, or of what may be liable to disapprobation; justification; as, Tertullian’s Apology for Christianity., An acknowledgment intended as an atonement for some improper or injurious remark or act; an admission to another of a wrong or discourtesy done him, accompanied by an expression of regret., Anything provided as a substitute; a makeshift., To offer an apology.
apoplex noun Apoplexy.
aporias plural of Aporia
aporosa noun pl. A group of corals in which the coral is not porous; — opposed to Perforata.
aporose adjective Without pores.
apostil noun Alt. of Apostille
apostle noun Literally: One sent forth; a messenger. Specifically: One of the twelve disciples of Christ, specially chosen as his companions and witnesses, and sent forth to preach the gospel., The missionary who first plants the Christian faith in any part of the world; also, one who initiates any great moral reform, or first advocates any important belief; one who has extraordinary success as a missionary or reformer; as, Dionysius of Corinth is called the apostle of France, John Eliot the apostle to the Indians, Theobald Mathew the apostle of temperance., A brief letter dimissory sent by a court appealed from to the superior court, stating the case, etc.; a paper sent up on appeals in the admiralty courts.
apothem noun The perpendicular from the center to one of the sides of a regular polygon., A deposit formed in a liquid extract of a vegetable substance by exposure to the air.
apotome noun The difference between two quantities commensurable only in power, as between Ã2 and 1, or between the diagonal and side of a square., The remaining part of a whole tone after a smaller semitone has been deducted from it; a major semitone.
apparel noun External clothing; vesture; garments; dress; garb; external habiliments or array., A small ornamental piece of embroidery worn on albs and some other ecclesiastical vestments., The furniture of a ship, as masts, sails, rigging, anchors, guns, etc., To make or get (something) ready; to prepare., To furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out., To dress or clothe; to attire., To dress with external ornaments; to cover with something ornamental; to deck; to embellish; as, trees appareled with flowers, or a garden with verdure.
appaume noun A hand open and extended so as to show the palm.
appeach verb t. To impeach; to accuse; to asperse; to inform against; to reproach.
appease verb t. To make quiet; to calm; to reduce to a state of peace; to still; to pacify; to dispel (anger or hatred); as, to appease the tumult of the ocean, or of the passions; to appease hunger or thirst.
apperil noun Peril.
applaud verb t. To show approval of by clapping the hands, acclamation, or other significant sign., To praise by words; to express approbation of; to commend; to approve., To express approbation loudly or significantly.
applier noun He who, or that which, applies.
applied imp. & past participle of Apply
appoint verb t. To fix with power or firmness; to establish; to mark out., To fix by a decree, order, command, resolve, decision, or mutual agreement; to constitute; to ordain; to prescribe; to fix the time and place of., To assign, designate, or set apart by authority., To furnish in all points; to provide with everything necessary by way of equipment; to equip; to fit out., To point at by way, or for the purpose, of censure or commendation; to arraign., To direct, designate, or limit; to make or direct a new disposition of, by virtue of a power contained in a conveyance; — said of an estate already conveyed., To ordain; to determine; to arrange.
apposed adjective Placed in apposition; mutually fitting, as the mandibles of a bird’s beak.
apposer noun An examiner; one whose business is to put questions. Formerly, in the English Court of Exchequer, an officer who audited the sheriffs’ accounts.
apprest adjective Pressed close to, or lying against, something for its whole length, as against a stem,
apprise verb t. To give notice, verbal or written; to inform; — followed by of; as, we will apprise the general of an intended attack; he apprised the commander of what he had done., Notice; information.
apprize verb t. To appraise; to value; to appreciate.
appromt verb t. To quicken; to prompt.
approof noun Trial; proof., Approval; commendation.
approve verb t. To show to be real or true; to prove., To make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show practically., To sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm; as, to approve the decision of a court-martial., To regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to think well of; as, we approve the measured of the administration., To make or show to be worthy of approbation or acceptance., To make profit of; to convert to one’s own profit; — said esp. of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor.
appulse noun A driving or running towards; approach; impulse; also, the act of striking against., The near approach of one heavenly body to another, or to the meridian; a coming into conjunction; as, the appulse of the moon to a star, or of a star to the meridian.
apricot noun A fruit allied to the plum, of an orange color, oval shape, and delicious taste; also, the tree (Prunus Armeniaca of Linnaeus) which bears this fruit. By cultivation it has been introduced throughout the temperate zone.
aprocta noun pl. A group of Turbellaria in which there is no anal aperture.
aproned adjective Wearing an apron.
aprosos adjective & adverb Opportunely or opportune; seasonably or seasonable., By the way; to the purpose; suitably to the place or subject; — a word used to introduce an incidental observation, suited to the occasion, though not strictly belonging to the narration.
apsidal adjective Of or pertaining to the apsides of an orbit., Of or pertaining to the apse of a church; as, the apsidal termination of the chancel.
apsides noun pl. See Apsis., of Apsis
aptable adjective Capable of being adapted.
apteral adjective Apterous., Without lateral columns; — applied to buildings which have no series of columns along their sides, but are either prostyle or amphiprostyle, and opposed to peripteral.
apteran noun One of the Aptera.
apteria noun pl. Naked spaces between the feathered areas of birds. See Pteryliae.
apteryx noun A genus of New Zealand birds about the size of a hen, with only short rudiments of wings, armed with a claw and without a tail; the kiwi. It is allied to the gigantic extinct moas of the same country. Five species are known.
aptness noun Fitness; suitableness; appropriateness; as, the aptness of things to their end., Disposition of the mind; propensity; as, the aptness of men to follow example., Quickness of apprehension; readiness in learning; docility; as, an aptness to learn is more observable in some children than in others., Proneness; tendency; as, the aptness of iron to rust.
aptotic adjective Pertaining to, or characterized by, aptotes; uninflected; as, aptotic languages.
apyrexy noun The absence or intermission of fever.
apyrous adjective Incombustible; capable of sustaining a strong heat without alteration of form or properties.
aquaria plural of Aquarium
aquatic adjective Pertaining to water; growing in water; living in, swimming in, or frequenting the margins of waters; as, aquatic plants and fowls., An aquatic animal or plant., Sports or exercises practiced in or on the water.
aqueity noun Wateriness.
aqueous adjective Partaking of the nature of water, or abounding with it; watery., Made from, or by means of, water.
aquilae plural of Aquila
aquilon noun The north wind.
arabian adjective Of or pertaining to Arabia or its inhabitants., A native of Arabia; an Arab.
arabism noun An Arabic idiom peculiarly of language.
arabist noun One well versed in the Arabic language or literature; also, formerly, one who followed the Arabic system of surgery.
aracari noun A South American bird, of the genus Pleroglossius, allied to the toucans. There are several species.
aramean adjective Of or pertaining to the Syrians and Chaldeans, or to their language; Aramaic., A native of Aram.
aramaic adjective Pertaining to Aram, or to the territory, inhabitants, language, or literature of Syria and Mesopotamia; Aramaean; — specifically applied to the northern branch of the Semitic family of languages, including Syriac and Chaldee., The Aramaic language.
aration noun Plowing; tillage.
aratory adjective Contributing to tillage.
arbiter noun A person appointed, or chosen, by parties to determine a controversy between them., Any person who has the power of judging and determining, or ordaining, without control; one whose power of deciding and governing is not limited., To act as arbiter between.
arblast noun A crossbow. See Arbalest.
arbored adjective Furnished with an arbor; lined with trees.
arboret noun A small tree or shrub.
arbutus noun Alt. of Arbute
arcaded adjective Furnished with an arcade.
arcadia noun A mountainous and picturesque district of Greece, in the heart of the Peloponnesus, whose people were distinguished for contentment and rural happiness., Fig.: Any region or scene of simple pleasure and untroubled quiet.
arcadic adjective Of or pertaining to Arcadia; pastoral; ideally rural; as, Arcadian simplicity or scenery.
arcanum noun A secret; a mystery; — generally used in the plural., A secret remedy; an elixir.
arching present participle & vb. noun of Arch, The arched part of a structure., Hogging; — opposed to sagging.
archaic adjective Of or characterized by antiquity or archaism; antiquated; obsolescent.
archery noun The use of the bow and arrows in battle, hunting, etc.; the art, practice, or skill of shooting with a bow and arrows., Archers, or bowmen, collectively.
archeus noun The vital principle or force which (according to the Paracelsians) presides over the growth and continuation of living beings; the anima mundi or plastic power of the old philosophers.
archive noun The place in which public records or historic documents are kept., Public records or documents preserved as evidence of facts; as, the archives of a country or family.
archway noun A way or passage under an arch.
arcuate adjective Alt. of Arcuated
arcubus noun See Arquebus.
ardency noun Heat., Warmth of passion or affection; ardor; vehemence; eagerness; as, the ardency of love or zeal.
arduous adjective Steep and lofty, in a literal sense; hard to climb., Attended with great labor, like the ascending of acclivities; difficult; laborious; as, an arduous employment, task, or enterprise.
arenose adjective Sandy; full of sand.
areolae plural of Areola
areolar adjective Pertaining to, or like, an areola; filled with interstices or areolae.
areolet noun A small inclosed area; esp. one of the small spaces on the wings of insects, circumscribed by the veins.
argoile noun Potter’s clay.
argolic adjective Pertaining to Argolis, a district in the Peloponnesus.
arguing present participle & vb. noun of Argue
argulus noun A genus of copepod Crustacea, parasitic of fishes; a fish louse. See Branchiura.
arhizal adjective Alt. of Arhythmous
aricine noun An alkaloid, first found in white cinchona bark.
aridity noun The state or quality of being arid or without moisture; dryness., Fig.: Want of interest of feeling; insensibility; dryness of style or feeling; spiritual drought.
arietta noun Alt. of Ariette
ariette noun A short aria, or air.
arillus noun A exterior covering, forming a false coat or appendage to a seed, as the loose, transparent bag inclosing the seed or the white water lily. The mace of the nutmeg is also an aril.
arising present participle & vb. noun of Arise
armhole noun The cavity under the shoulder; the armpit., A hole for the arm in a garment.
armiger noun Formerly, an armor bearer, as of a knight, an esquire who bore his shield and rendered other services. In later use, one next in degree to a knight, and entitled to armorial bearings. The term is now superseded by esquire.
armilla noun An armil., A ring of hair or feathers on the legs.
armless adjective Without any arm or branch., Destitute of arms or weapons.
armored adjective Clad with armor.
armorer noun One who makes or repairs armor or arms., Formerly, one who had care of the arms and armor of a knight, and who dressed him in armor., One who has the care of arms and armor, cleans or repairs them, etc.
armoric adjective Alt. of Armorican
armrack noun A frame, generally vertical, for holding small arms.
arnatto noun See Annotto.
arnicin noun An active principle of Arnica montana. It is a bitter resin.
arousal noun The act of arousing, or the state of being aroused.
aroused imp. & past participle of Arouse
arraign verb t. To call or set as a prisoner at the bar of a court to answer to the matter charged in an indictment or complaint., To call to account, or accuse, before the bar of reason, taste, or any other tribunal., Arraignment; as, the clerk of the arraigns., To appeal to; to demand; as, to arraign an assize of novel disseizin.
arrange verb t. To put in proper order; to dispose (persons, or parts) in the manner intended, or best suited for the purpose; as, troops arranged for battle., To adjust or settle; to prepare; to determine; as, to arrange the preliminaries of an undertaking.
arrayed imp. & past participle of Array
arrayer noun One who arrays. In some early English statutes, applied to an officer who had care of the soldiers’ armor, and who saw them duly accoutered.
arriere noun “That which is behind”; the rear; — chiefly used as an adjective in the sense of behind, rear, subordinate.
arrival noun The act of arriving, or coming; the act of reaching a place from a distance, whether by water (as in its original sense) or by land., The attainment or reaching of any object, by effort, or in natural course; as, our arrival at this conclusion was wholly unexpected., The person or thing arriving or which has arrived; as, news brought by the last arrival., An approach.
arrived imp. & past participle of Arrive
arriver noun One who arrives.
arroyos plural of Arroyo
arschin noun See Arshine.
arsenal noun A public establishment for the storage, or for the manufacture and storage, of arms and all military equipments, whether for land or naval service.
arsenic noun One of the elements, a solid substance resembling a metal in its physical properties, but in its chemical relations ranking with the nonmetals. It is of a steel-gray color and brilliant luster, though usually dull from tarnish. It is very brittle, and sublimes at 356¡ Fahrenheit. It is sometimes found native, but usually combined with silver, cobalt, nickel, iron, antimony, or sulphur. Orpiment and realgar are two of its sulphur compounds, the first of which is the true arsenicum of the ancients. The element and its compounds are active poisons. Specific gravity from 5.7 to 5.9. Atomic weight 75. Symbol As., Arsenious oxide or arsenious anhydride; — called also arsenious acid, white arsenic, and ratsbane., Pertaining to, or derived from, arsenic; — said of those compounds of arsenic in which this element has its highest equivalence; as, arsenic acid.
arshine noun A Russian measure of length = 2 ft. 4.246 inches.
artemia noun A genus of phyllopod Crustacea found in salt lakes and brines; the brine shrimp. See Brine shrimp.
article noun A distinct portion of an instrument, discourse, literary work, or any other writing, consisting of two or more particulars, or treating of various topics; as, an article in the Constitution. Hence: A clause in a contract, system of regulations, treaty, or the like; a term, condition, or stipulation in a contract; a concise statement; as, articles of agreement., A literary composition, forming an independent portion of a magazine, newspaper, or cyclopedia., Subject; matter; concern; distinct., A distinct part., A particular one of various things; as, an article of merchandise; salt is a necessary article., Precise point of time; moment., One of the three words, a, an, the, used before nouns to limit or define their application. A (or an) is called the indefinite article, the the definite article., One of the segments of an articulated appendage., To formulate in articles; to set forth in distinct particulars., To accuse or charge by an exhibition of articles., To bind by articles of covenant or stipulation; as, to article an apprentice to a mechanic., To agree by articles; to stipulate; to bargain; to covenant.
artisan noun One who professes and practices some liberal art; an artist., One trained to manual dexterity in some mechanic art or trade; and handicraftsman; a mechanic.
artiste noun One peculiarly dexterous and tasteful in almost any employment, as an opera dancer, a hairdresser, a cook.
artless adjective Wanting art, knowledge, or skill; ignorant; unskillful., Contrived without skill or art; inartistic., Free from guile, art, craft, or stratagem; characterized by simplicity and sincerity; sincere; guileless; ingenuous; honest; as, an artless mind; an artless tale.
artsman noun A man skilled in an art or in arts.
aruspex noun One of the class of diviners among the Etruscans and Romans, who foretold events by the inspection of the entrails of victims offered on the altars of the gods.
asaphus noun A genus of trilobites found in the Lower Silurian formation. See Illust. in Append.
asarone noun A crystallized substance, resembling camphor, obtained from the Asarum Europaeum; — called also camphor of asarum.
asbolin noun A peculiar acrid and bitter oil, obtained from wood soot.
ascarid noun A parasitic nematoid worm, espec. the roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, often occurring in the human intestine, and allied species found in domestic animals; also commonly applied to the pinworm (Oxyuris), often troublesome to children and aged persons.
ascetic adjective Extremely rigid in self-denial and devotions; austere; severe., In the early church, one who devoted himself to a solitary and contemplative life, characterized by devotion, extreme self-denial, and self-mortification; a hermit; a recluse; hence, one who practices extreme rigor and self-denial in religious things.
ascidia plural of Ascidium
ascians noun pl. Persons who, at certain times of the year, have no shadow at noon; — applied to the inhabitants of the torrid zone, who have, twice a year, a vertical sun.
ascites noun A collection of serous fluid in the cavity of the abdomen; dropsy of the peritoneum.
ascitic adjective Alt. of Ascitical
ascribe verb t. To attribute, impute, or refer, as to a cause; as, his death was ascribed to a poison; to ascribe an effect to the right cause; to ascribe such a book to such an author., To attribute, as a quality, or an appurtenance; to consider or allege to belong.
ascript adjective See Adscript.
aseptic adjective Not liable to putrefaction; nonputrescent., An aseptic substance.
asexual adjective Having no distinct sex; without sexual action; as, asexual reproduction. See Fission and Gemmation.
ashamed adjective Affected by shame; abashed or confused by guilt, or a conviction or consciousness of some wrong action or impropriety.
ashweed noun Goutweed.
asiarch noun One of the chiefs or pontiffs of the Roman province of Asia, who had the superintendence of the public games and religious rites.
asiatic adjective Of or pertaining to Asia or to its inhabitants., A native, or one of the people, of Asia.
asinego noun Alt. of Assinego
asinine adjective Of or belonging to, or having the qualities of, the ass, as stupidity and obstinacy.
askance adverb Alt. of Askant, To turn aside.
asonant adjective Not sounding or sounded.
asperne verb t. To spurn; to despise.
asperse verb t. To sprinkle, as water or dust, upon anybody or anything, or to besprinkle any one with a liquid or with dust., To bespatter with foul reports or false and injurious charges; to tarnish in point of reputation or good name; to slander or calumniate; as, to asperse a poet or his writings; to asperse a man’s character.
asphalt noun Alt. of Asphaltum, To cover with asphalt; as, to asphalt a roof; asphalted streets.
asphyxy noun Apparent death, or suspended animation; the condition which results from interruption of respiration, as in suffocation or drowning, or the inhalation of irrespirable gases.
aspired imp. & past participle of Aspire
aspirer noun One who aspires.
asprawl adverb & adjective Sprawling.
asquint adverb With the eye directed to one side; not in the straight line of vision; obliquely; awry, so as to see distortedly; as, to look asquint.
assagai noun Alt. of Assegai
assegai noun A spear used by tribes in South Africa as a missile and for stabbing, a kind of light javelin., Same as Assagai.
assamar noun The peculiar bitter substance, soft or liquid, and of a yellow color, produced when meat, bread, gum, sugar, starch, and the like, are roasted till they turn brown.
assapan noun Alt. of Assapanic
assault noun A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town., A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government., An apparently violent attempt, or willful offer with force or violence, to do hurt to another; an attempt or offer to beat another, accompanied by a degree of violence, but without touching his person, as by lifting the fist, or a cane, in a threatening manner, or by striking at him, and missing him. If the blow aimed takes effect, it is a battery., To make an assault upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical violence or menaces., To attack with moral means, or with a view of producing moral effects; to attack by words, arguments, or unfriendly measures; to assail; as, to assault a reputation or an administration.
assayed imp. & past participle of Assay
assayer noun One who assays. Specifically: One who examines metallic ores or compounds, for the purpose of determining the amount of any particular metal in the same, especially of gold or silver.
assever verb t. See Asseverate.
assiege verb t. To besiege., A siege.
assized imp. & past participle of Assize
assizer noun An officer who has the care or inspection of weights and measures, etc.
assizor noun A juror.
assober verb t. To make or keep sober.
assuage verb t. To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease, or lessen, as heat, pain, or grief; to appease or pacify, as passion or tumult; to satisfy, as appetite or desire., To abate or subside.
assumed imp. & past participle of Assume, Supposed., Pretended; hypocritical; make-believe; as, an assumed character.
assumer noun One who assumes, arrogates, pretends, or supposes.
assumpt verb t. To take up; to elevate; to assume., That which is assumed; an assumption.
assured imp. & past participle of Assure, Made sure; safe; insured; certain; indubitable; not doubting; bold to excess., One whose life or property is insured.
assurer noun One who assures. Specifically: One who insures against loss; an insurer or underwriter., One who takes out a life assurance policy.
asswage verb See Assuage.
astacus noun A genus of crustaceans, containing the crawfish of fresh-water lobster of Europe, and allied species of western North America. See Crawfish.
astarte noun A genus of bivalve mollusks, common on the coasts of America and Europe.
astatic adjective Having little or no tendency to take a fixed or definite position or direction: thus, a suspended magnetic needle, when rendered astatic, loses its polarity, or tendency to point in a given direction.
asteism noun Genteel irony; a polite and ingenious manner of deriding another.
astheny noun Want or loss of strength; debility; diminution of the vital forces.
astoned imp. & past participle of Astone
astound of Astone, Stunned; astounded; astonished., of Astound, To stun; to stupefy., To astonish; to strike with amazement; to confound with wonder, surprise, or fear.
astrand adverb & adjective Stranded.
astrict verb t. To bind up; to confine; to constrict; to contract., To bind; to constrain; to restrict; to limit., To restrict the tenure of; as, to astrict lands. See Astriction, 4., Concise; contracted.
astride adverb With one leg on each side, as a man when on horseback; with the legs stretched wide apart; astraddle.
astylar adjective Without columns or pilasters.
asunder adverb Apart; separate from each other; into parts; in two; separately; into or in different pieces or places.
asylums plural of Asylum
atafter preposition After.
ataghan noun See Yataghan.
ataraxy noun Perfect peace of mind, or calmness.
ataunto adverb Fully rigged, as a vessel; with all sails set; set on end or set right.
atavism noun The recurrence, or a tendency to a recurrence, of the original type of a species in the progeny of its varieties; resemblance to remote rather than to near ancestors; reversion to the original form., The recurrence of any peculiarity or disease of an ancestor in a subsequent generation, after an intermission for a generation or two.
atelier noun A workshop; a studio.
atellan adjective Of or pertaining to Atella, in ancient Italy; as, Atellan plays; farcical; ribald., A farcical drama performed at Atella.
athanor noun A digesting furnace, formerly used by alchemists. It was so constructed as to maintain uniform and durable heat.
atheism noun The disbelief or denial of the existence of a God, or supreme intelligent Being., Godlessness.
atheist noun One who disbelieves or denies the existence of a God, or supreme intelligent Being., A godless person.
atheize verb t. To render atheistic or godless., To discourse, argue, or act as an atheist.
atheous adjective Atheistic; impious., Without God, neither accepting nor denying him.
athirst adjective Wanting drink; thirsty., Having a keen appetite or desire; eager; longing.
athlete noun One who contended for a prize in the public games of ancient Greece or Rome., Any one trained to contend in exercises requiring great physical agility and strength; one who has great activity and strength; a champion., One fitted for, or skilled in, intellectual contests; as, athletes of debate.
athwart preposition Across; from side to side of., Across the direction or course of; as, a fleet standing athwart our course., Across, especially in an oblique direction; sidewise; obliquely., Across the course; so as to thwart; perversely.
atlanta noun A genus of small glassy heteropod mollusks found swimming at the surface in mid ocean. See Heteropod.
atlases plural of Atlas
atokous adjective Producing only asexual individuals, as the eggs of certain annelids.
atomism noun The doctrine of atoms. See Atomic philosophy, under Atomic.
atomist noun One who holds to the atomic philosophy or theory.
atomize verb t. To reduce to atoms, or to fine spray.
atoning present participle & vb. noun of Atone
atrenne verb t. To outrun.
atresia noun Absence or closure of a natural passage or channel of the body; imperforation.
atrocha noun A kind of chaetopod larva in which no circles of cilia are developed.
atrophy noun A wasting away from want of nourishment; diminution in bulk or slow emaciation of the body or of any part., To cause to waste away or become abortive; to starve or weaken., To waste away; to dwindle.
atropia noun Same as Atropine.
attabal noun See Atabal.
attacca Attack at once; — a direction at the end of a movement to show that the next is to follow immediately, without any pause.
attache verb t. One attached to another person or thing, as a part of a suite or staff. Specifically: One attached to an embassy.
attagas noun Alt. of Attagen
attagen noun A species of sand grouse (Syrrghaptes Pallasii) found in Asia and rarely in southern Europe.
attaint verb t. To attain; to get act; to hit., To find guilty; to convict; — said esp. of a jury on trial for giving a false verdict., To subject (a person) to the legal condition formerly resulting from a sentence of death or outlawry, pronounced in respect of treason or felony; to affect by attainder., To accuse; to charge with a crime or a dishonorable act., To affect or infect, as with physical or mental disease or with moral contagion; to taint or corrupt., To stain; to obscure; to sully; to disgrace; to cloud with infamy., Attainted; corrupted., A touch or hit., A blow or wound on the leg of a horse, made by overreaching., A writ which lies after judgment, to inquire whether a jury has given a false verdict in any court of record; also, the convicting of the jury so tried., A stain or taint; disgrace. See Taint., An infecting influence.
attaste verb t. To taste or cause to taste.
attempt verb t. To make trial or experiment of; to try; to endeavor to do or perform (some action); to assay; as, to attempt to sing; to attempt a bold flight., To try to move, by entreaty, by afflictions, or by temptations; to tempt., To try to win, subdue, or overcome; as, one who attempts the virtue of a woman., To attack; to make an effort or attack upon; to try to take by force; as, to attempt the enemy’s camp., To make an attempt; — with upon., A essay, trial, or endeavor; an undertaking; an attack, or an effort to gain a point; esp. an unsuccessful, as contrasted with a successful, effort.
attical adjective Attic.
attinge verb t. To touch lightly.
attired imp. & past participle of Attire, Provided with antlers, as a stag.
attirer noun One who attires.
attonce adverb At once; together.
attract verb t. To draw to, or cause to tend to; esp. to cause to approach, adhere, or combine; or to cause to resist divulsion, separation, or decomposition., To draw by influence of a moral or emotional kind; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure; as, to attract admirers., Attraction.
attrite adjective Rubbed; worn by friction., Repentant from fear of punishment; having attrition of grief for sin; — opposed to contrite.
attuned imp. & past participle of Attune
aubaine noun Succession to the goods of a stranger not naturalized.
auberge noun An inn.
auctary noun That which is superadded; augmentation.
auction noun A public sale of property to the highest bidder, esp. by a person licensed and authorized for the purpose; a vendue., The things sold by auction or put up to auction., To sell by auction.
audible adjective Capable of being heard; loud enough to be heard; actually heard; as, an audible voice or whisper., That which may be heard.
audibly adverb So as to be heard.
audient adjective Listening; paying attention; as, audient souls., A hearer; especially a catechumen in the early church.
audited imp. & past participle of Audit
auditor adjective A hearer or listener., A person appointed and authorized to audit or examine an account or accounts, compare the charges with the vouchers, examine the parties and witnesses, allow or reject charges, and state the balance., One who hears judicially, as in an audience court.
au fait Expert; skillful; well instructed.
augitic adjective Pertaining to, or like, augite; containing augite as a principal constituent; as, augitic rocks.
augment verb t. To enlarge or increase in size, amount, or degree; to swell; to make bigger; as, to augment an army by reeforcements; rain augments a stream; impatience augments an evil., To add an augment to., To increase; to grow larger, stronger, or more intense; as, a stream augments by rain., Enlargement by addition; increase., A vowel prefixed, or a lengthening of the initial vowel, to mark past time, as in Greek and Sanskrit verbs.
augured imp. & past participle of Augur
augural adjective Of or pertaining to augurs or to augury; betokening; ominous; significant; as, an augural staff; augural books.
augurer noun An augur.
aukward adjective See Awkward.
auletic adjective Of or pertaining to a pipe (flute) or piper.
aulnage noun Alt. of Aulnager
auntter noun Adventure; hap.
aurated adjective Resembling or containing gold; gold-colored; gilded., Combined with auric acid., Having ears. See Aurited.
aureate adjective Golden; gilded.
aurelia noun The chrysalis, or pupa of an insect, esp. when reflecting a brilliant golden color, as that of some of the butterflies., A genus of jellyfishes. See Discophora.
aureola noun Alt. of Aureole
aureole noun A celestial crown or accidental glory added to the bliss of heaven, as a reward to those (as virgins, martyrs, preachers, etc.) who have overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil., The circle of rays, or halo of light, with which painters surround the figure and represent the glory of Christ, saints, and others held in special reverence., A halo, actual or figurative., See Areola, 2.
auricle noun The external ear, or that part of the ear which is prominent from the head., The chamber, or one of the two chambers, of the heart, by which the blood is received and transmitted to the ventricle or ventricles; — so called from its resemblance to the auricle or external ear of some quadrupeds. See Heart., An angular or ear-shaped lobe., An instrument applied to the ears to give aid in hearing; a kind of ear trumpet.
aurigal adjective Of or pertaining to a chariot.
aurited adjective Having lobes like the ear; auriculate.
aurochs noun The European bison (Bison bonasus, / Europaeus), once widely distributed, but now nearly extinct, except where protected in the Lithuanian forests, and perhaps in the Caucasus. It is distinct from the Urus of Caesar, with which it has often been confused.
auroras plural of Aurora
aurorae plural of Aurora
auroral adjective Belonging to, or resembling, the aurora (the dawn or the northern lights); rosy.
auscult verb i. & t. To auscultate.
auspice adjective A divining or taking of omens by observing birds; an omen as to an undertaking, drawn from birds; an augury; an omen or sign in general; an indication as to the future., Protection; patronage and care; guidance.
austere Sour and astringent; rough to the state; having acerbity; as, an austere crab apple; austere wine., Severe in modes of judging, or living, or acting; rigid; rigorous; stern; as, an austere man, look, life., Unadorned; unembellished; severely simple.
austral adjective Southern; lying or being in the south; as, austral land; austral ocean.
autopsy adjective Personal observation or examination; seeing with one’s own eyes; ocular view., Dissection of a dead body, for the purpose of ascertaining the cause, seat, or nature of a disease; a post-mortem examination.
auxesis noun A figure by which a grave and magnificent word is put for the proper word; amplification; hyperbole.
auxetic adjective Pertaining to, or containing, auxesis; amplifying.
availed imp. & past participle of Avail
avarice noun An excessive or inordinate desire of gain; greediness after wealth; covetousness; cupidity., An inordinate desire for some supposed good.
avarous adjective Avaricious.
avaunce verb t. & i. To advance; to profit.
avenage noun A quantity of oats paid by a tenant to a landlord in lieu of rent.
avenged imp. & past participle of Avenge
avenger noun One who avenges or vindicates; as, an avenger of blood., One who takes vengeance.
aventre verb t. To thrust forward (at a venture), as a spear.
averred imp. & past participle of Aver
average noun That service which a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the work beasts of the tenant, as the carriage of wheat, turf, etc., A tariff or duty on goods, etc., Any charge in addition to the regular charge for freight of goods shipped., A contribution to a loss or charge which has been imposed upon one of several for the general benefit; damage done by sea perils., The equitable and proportionate distribution of loss or expense among all interested., A mean proportion, medial sum or quantity, made out of unequal sums or quantities; an arithmetical mean. Thus, if A loses 5 dollars, B 9, and C 16, the sum is 30, and the average 10., Any medial estimate or general statement derived from a comparison of diverse specific cases; a medium or usual size, quantity, quality, rate, etc., In the English corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets., Pertaining to an average or mean; medial; containing a mean proportion; of a mean size, quality, ability, etc.; ordinary; usual; as, an average rate of profit; an average amount of rain; the average Englishman; beings of the average stamp., According to the laws of averages; as, the loss must be made good by average contribution., To find the mean of, when sums or quantities are unequal; to reduce to a mean., To divide among a number, according to a given proportion; as, to average a loss., To do, accomplish, get, etc., on an average., To form, or exist in, a mean or medial sum or quantity; to amount to, or to be, on an average; as, the losses of the owners will average twenty five dollars each; these spars average ten feet in length.
avernal adjective Alt. of Avernian
averted imp. & past participle of Avert, Turned away, esp. as an expression of feeling; also, offended; unpropitious.
averter noun One who, or that which, averts.
aviator noun An experimenter in aviation., A flying machine.
avicula noun A genus of marine bivalves, having a pearly interior, allied to the pearl oyster; — so called from a supposed resemblance of the typical species to a bird.
avidity noun Greediness; strong appetite; eagerness; intenseness of desire; as, to eat with avidity.
avigato noun See Avocado.
avisely adverb Advisedly.
avision noun Vision.
avocado noun The pulpy fruit of Persea gratissima, a tree of tropical America. It is about the size and shape of a large pear; — called also avocado pear, alligator pear, midshipman’s butter.
avocate adjective To call off or away; to withdraw; to transfer to another tribunal.
avoided imp. & past participle of Avoid
avoider noun The person who carries anything away, or the vessel in which things are carried away., One who avoids, shuns, or escapes.
avolate verb i. To fly away; to escape; to exhale.
avowing present participle & vb. noun of Avow
avowant noun The defendant in replevin, who avows the distress of the goods, and justifies the taking.
avowtry verb t. Adultery. See Advoutry.
awaited imp. & past participle of Await
awaking present participle & vb. noun of Awake
awarded imp. & past participle of Award
awarder noun One who awards, or assigns by sentence or judicial determination; a judge.
aweless adjective See Awless.
awesome adjective Causing awe; appalling; awful; as, an awesome sight., Expressive of awe or terror.
awfully adverb In an awful manner; in a manner to fill with terror or awe; fearfully; reverently., Very; excessively.
awkward adjective Wanting dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments; not dexterous; without skill; clumsy; wanting ease, grace, or effectiveness in movement; ungraceful; as, he was awkward at a trick; an awkward boy., Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing., Perverse; adverse; untoward.
awlwort noun A plant (Subularia aquatica), with awl-shaped leaves.
awnless adjective Without awns or beard.
axially adverb In relation to, or in a line with, an axis; in the axial (magnetic) line.
axillae plural of Axilla
axillar adjective Axillary.
axinite noun A borosilicate of alumina, iron, and lime, commonly found in glassy, brown crystals with acute edges.
axolotl noun An amphibian of the salamander tribe found in the elevated lakes of Mexico; the siredon.
axstone noun A variety of jade. It is used by some savages, particularly the natives of the South Sea Islands, for making axes or hatchets.
aye-aye noun A singular nocturnal quadruped, allied to the lemurs, found in Madagascar (Cheiromys Madagascariensis), remarkable for its long fingers, sharp nails, and rodent-like incisor teeth.
azaleas plural of Azalea
azarole noun The Neapolitan medlar (Crataegus azarolus), a shrub of southern Europe; also, its fruit.
azimuth noun The quadrant of an azimuth circle., An arc of the horizon intercepted between the meridian of the place and a vertical circle passing through the center of any object; as, the azimuth of a star; the azimuth or bearing of a line surveying.
azoleic adjective Pertaining to an acid produced by treating oleic with nitric acid.
azorian adjective Of or pertaining to the Azores., A native of the Azores.
azotite noun A salt formed by the combination of azotous, or nitrous, acid with a base; a nitrite.
azotize verb t. To impregnate with azote, or nitrogen; to nitrogenize.
azotous adjective Nitrous; as, azotous acid.
azurine adjective Azure., The blue roach of Europe (Leuciscus caeruleus); — so called from its color.
azurite noun Blue carbonate of copper; blue malachite.
azygous adjective Odd; having no fellow; not one of a pair; single; as, the azygous muscle of the uvula.
azymite noun One who administered the Eucharist with unleavened bread; — a name of reproach given by those of the Greek church to the Latins.
azymous adjective Unleavened; unfermented.