| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| mesdames | plural | of Madam, of Madame, pl. of Madame and Madam. |
| meagerly | adverb | Alt. of Meagrely |
| meagrely | adverb | Poorly; thinly. |
| mealtime | noun | The usual time of eating a meal. |
| meanness | noun | The condition, or quality, of being mean; want of excellence; poorness; lowness; baseness; sordidness; stinginess., A mean act; as, to be guilty of meanness. |
| meantime | noun | Alt. of Meanwhile, Alt. of Meanwhile |
| measelry | noun | Leprosy. |
| measured | imp. & past participle | of Measure, Regulated or determined by a standard; hence, equal; uniform; graduated; limited; moderated; as, he walked with measured steps; he expressed himself in no measured terms. |
| measurer | noun | One who measures; one whose occupation or duty is to measure commondities in market. |
| meatless | adjective | Having no meat; without food. |
| meatuses | plural | of Meatus |
| meazling | adjective | Falling in small drops; mistling; mizzing. |
| meccawee | adjective | Of or pertaining to Mecca, in Arabia., A native or inhabitant of Mecca. |
| mechanic | adjective | The art of the application of the laws of motion or force to construction., A mechanician; an artisan; an artificer; one who practices any mechanic art; one skilled or employed in shaping and uniting materials, as wood, metal, etc., into any kind of structure, machine, or other object, requiring the use of tools, or instruments., Having to do with the application of the laws of motion in the art of constructing or making things; of or pertaining to mechanics; mechanical; as, the mechanic arts., Of or pertaining to a mechanic or artificer, or to the class of artisans; hence, rude; common; vulgar., Base. |
| meconate | noun | A salt of meconic acid. |
| meconium | noun | Opium., The contents of the fetal intestine; hence, first excrement. |
| medalled | of Medal | |
| medaling | present participle & vb. noun | of Medal |
| medalist | noun | A person that is skilled or curious in medals; a collector of medals., A designer of medals., One who has gained a medal as the reward of merit. |
| medallic | adjective | Of or pertaining to a medal, or to medals. |
| meddling | present participle & vb. noun | of Meddle, Meddlesome. |
| mediated | imp. & past participle | of Mediate |
| mediator | noun | One who mediates; especially, one who interposes between parties at variance for the purpose of reconciling them; hence, an intercessor. |
| medicate | verb t. | To tincture or impregnate with anything medicinal; to drug., To treat with medicine. |
| medicean | adjective | Of or relating to the Medici, a noted Italian family; as, the Medicean Venus. |
| medicine | noun | The science which relates to the prevention, cure, or alleviation of disease., Any substance administered in the treatment of disease; a remedial agent; a remedy; physic., A philter or love potion., A physician., To give medicine to; to affect as a medicine does; to remedy; to cure. |
| medieval | Alt. of Medievalist | |
| mediocre | adjective | Of a middle quality; of but a moderate or low degree of excellence; indifferent; ordinary., A mediocre person., A young monk who was excused from performing a portion of a monk’s duties. |
| meditate | verb i. | To keep the mind in a state of contemplation; to dwell on anything in thought; to think seriously; to muse; to cogitate; to reflect., To contemplate; to keep the mind fixed upon; to study., To purpose; to intend; to design; to plan by revolving in the mind; as, to meditate a war. |
| medregal | noun | See Bonito, 3. |
| medullar | adjective | See Medullary. |
| medullin | noun | A variety of lignin or cellulose found in the medulla, or pith, of certain plants. Cf. Lignin, and Cellulose. |
| medusian | noun | A medusa. |
| medusoid | adjective | Like a medusa; having the fundamental structure of a medusa, but without a locomotive disk; — said of the sessile gonophores of hydroids., A sessile gonophore. See Illust. under Gonosome. |
| meekness | noun | The quality or state of being meek. |
| meetness | noun | Fitness; suitableness; propriety. |
| megacosm | noun | See Macrocosm. |
| megaderm | noun | Any one of several species of Old World blood-sucking bats of the genus Megaderma. |
| megadyne | noun | One of the larger measures of force, amounting to one million dynes. |
| megalerg | noun | A million ergs; a megerg. |
| megalith | noun | A large stone; especially, a large stone used in ancient building. |
| megalops | noun | A larva, in a stage following the zoea, in the development of most crabs. In this stage the legs and abdominal appendages have appeared, the abdomen is relatively long, and the eyes are large. Also used adjectively., A large fish; the tarpum. |
| megapode | noun | Any one of several species of large-footed, gallinaceous birds of the genera Megapodius and Leipoa, inhabiting Australia and other Pacific islands. See Jungle fowl (b) under Jungle, and Leipoa. |
| megarian | adjective | Alt. of Megaric |
| megaseme | adjective | Having the orbital index relatively large; having the orbits narrow transversely; — opposed to microseme. |
| megavolt | noun | One of the larger measures of electro-motive force, amounting to one million volts. |
| meiocene | adjective | See Miocene. |
| meionite | noun | A member of the scapolite, group, occuring in glassy crystals on Monte Somma, near Naples. |
| melamine | noun | A strong nitrogenous base, C3H6N6, produced from several cyanogen compounds, and obtained as a white crystalline substance, — formerly supposed to be produced by the decomposition of melam. Called also cyanuramide. |
| melanian | noun | One of a family of fresh-water pectinibranchiate mollusks, having a turret-shaped shell. |
| melanism | noun | An undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages; — the opposite of albinism., A disease; black jaundice. See Mel/na. |
| melanite | noun | A black variety of garnet. |
| melanure | noun | A small fish of the Mediterranean; a gilthead. See Gilthead (a). |
| melasses | noun | See Molasses. |
| melassic | adjective | Pertaining to, or designating, an acid obtained from molasses or glucose, and probably identical with saccharic acid. See Saccharic. |
| melchite | noun | One of a sect, chiefly in Syria and Egypt, which acknowledges the authority of the pope, but adheres to the liturgy and ceremonies of the Eastern Church. |
| melenite | noun | An explosive of great destructive power; — so called from its color, which resembles honey. |
| melibean | adjective | Alt. of Melib/an |
| melib/an | adjective | Alternately responsive, as verses. |
| melilite | noun | A mineral occurring in small yellow crystals, found in the lavas (melilite basalt) of Vesuvius, and elsewhere. |
| melissic | adjective | Pertaining to, or derived from, beeswax; specif., denoting an acid obtained by oxidation of myricin. |
| melissyl | noun | See Myricyl. |
| melitose | noun | A variety of sugar isomeric with sucrose, extracted from cotton seeds and from the so-called Australian manna (a secretion of certain species of Eucalyptus). |
| mellific | adjective | Producing honey. |
| mellitic | adjective | Containing saccharine matter; marked by saccharine secretions; as, mellitic diabetes., Pertaining to, or derived from, the mineral mellite. |
| mellowed | imp. & past participle | of Mellow |
| mellowly | adverb | In a mellow manner. |
| melodeon | noun | A kind of small reed organ; — a portable form of the seraphine., A music hall. |
| melodics | noun | The department of musical science which treats of the pitch of tones, and of the laws of melody. |
| melodist | noun | A composer or singer of melodies. |
| melodize | verb t. | To make melodious; to form into, or set to, melody., To make melody; to compose melodies; to harmonize. |
| melodies | plural | of Melody |
| melop/ia | noun | The art of forming melody; melody; — now often used for a melodic passage, rather than a complete melody. |
| melotype | noun | A picture produced by a process in which development after exposure may be deferred indefinitely, so as to permit transportation of exposed plates; also, the process itself. |
| meltable | adjective | Capable of being melted. |
| membered | adjective | Having limbs; — chiefly used in composition., Having legs of a different tincture from that of the body; — said of a bird in heraldic representations. |
| membrane | noun | A thin layer or fold of tissue, usually supported by a fibrous network, serving to cover or line some part or organ, and often secreting or absorbing certain fluids. |
| mementos | plural | of Memento |
| memorate | verb t. | To commemorate. |
| memorial | adjective | Serving to preserve remembrance; commemorative; as, a memorial building., Mnemonic; assisting the memory., Anything intended to preserve the memory of a person or event; something which serves to keep something else in remembrance; a monument., A memorandum; a record., A written representation of facts, addressed to the government, or to some branch of it, or to a society, etc., — often accompanied with a petition., Memory; remembrance., A species of informal state paper, much used in negotiation. |
| memorist | noun | One who, or that which, causes to be remembered. |
| memorize | verb t. | To cause to be remembered ; hence, to record., To commit to memory; to learn by heart. |
| memories | plural | of Memory |
| memphian | adjective | Of or pertaining to the ancient city of Memphis in Egypt; hence, Egyptian; as, Memphian darkness. |
| menacing | present participle & vb. noun | of Menace |
| mendable | adjective | Capable of being mended. |
| mendiant | noun | See Mendinant. |
| mendment | noun | Amendment. |
| menhaden | noun | An American marine fish of the Herring familt (Brevoortia tyrannus), chiefly valuable for its oil and as a component of fertilizers; — called also mossbunker, bony fish, chebog, pogy, hardhead, whitefish, etc. |
| menilite | noun | See Opal. |
| meninges | noun pl. | The three membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord; the pia mater, dura mater, and arachnoid membrane. |
| meniscal | adjective | Pertaining to, or having the form of, a meniscus. |
| meniscus | noun | A crescent., A lens convex on one side and concave on the other., An interarticular synovial cartilage or membrane; esp., one of the intervertebral synovial disks in some parts of the vertebral column of birds. |
| menology | noun | A register of months., A brief calendar of the lives of the saints for each day in the year, or a simple remembrance of those whose lives are not written. |
| menopoma | noun | Alt. of Menopome |
| menopome | noun | The hellbender. |
| menstrue | noun | The menstrual flux; menses. |
| menstrua | plural | of Menstruum |
| mensural | adjective | Of or pertaining to measure. |
| mentagra | noun | Sycosis. |
| mentally | adverb | In the mind; in thought or meditation; intellectually; in idea. |
| menthene | noun | A colorless liquid hydrocarbon resembling oil of turpentine, obtained by dehydrating menthol. It has an agreeable odor and a cooling taste. |
| mephitic | adjective | Alt. of Mephitical |
| mephitis | noun | Noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalations from decomposing substances, filth, or other source., A genus of mammals, including the skunks. |
| mercable | adjective | Capable of being bought or sold. |
| merchand | verb i. | To traffic. |
| merchant | noun | One who traffics on a large scale, especially with foreign countries; a trafficker; a trader., A trading vessel; a merchantman., One who keeps a store or shop for the sale of goods; a shopkeeper., Of, pertaining to, or employed in, trade or merchandise; as, the merchant service., To be a merchant; to trade. |
| merciful | adjective | Full of mercy; having or exercising mercy; disposed to pity and spare offenders; unwilling to punish., Unwilling to give pain; compassionate. |
| mercuric | adjective | Of, pertaining to, or derived from, mercury; containing mercury; — said of those compounds of mercury into which this element enters in its lowest proportion. |
| meresman | noun | An officer who ascertains meres or boundaries. |
| mericarp | noun | One carpel of an umbelliferous fruit. See Cremocarp. |
| meridian | adjective | Being at, or pertaining to, midday; belonging to, or passing through, the highest point attained by the sun in his diurnal course., Pertaining to the highest point or culmination; as, meridian splendor., Midday; noon., Hence: The highest point, as of success, prosperity, or the like; culmination., A great circle of the sphere passing through the poles of the heavens and the zenith of a given place. It is crossed by the sun at midday., A great circle on the surface of the earth, passing through the poles and any given place; also, the half of such a circle included between the poles. |
| meringue | noun | A delicate pastry made of powdered sugar and the whites of eggs whipped up, — with jam or cream added. |
| meristem | noun | A tissue of growing cells, or cells capable of further division. |
| meriting | present participle & vb. noun | of Merit |
| merithal | noun | Alt. of Merithallus |
| meritory | adjective | Meritorious. |
| merocele | noun | Hernia in the thigh; femoral hernia . |
| merosome | noun | One of the serial segments, or metameres, of which the bodies of vertebrate and articulate animals are composed. |
| mesaraic | adjective | Mesenteric. |
| meseemed | imp. | of Meseems |
| meseraic | adjective | Mesaraic. |
| mesially | adverb | In, near, or toward, the mesial plane; mesiad. |
| mesmeree | noun | A person subjected to mesmeric influence; one who is mesmerized. |
| mesmeric | adjective | Alt. of Mesmerical |
| mesocarp | noun | The middle layer of a pericarp which consists of three distinct or dissimilar layers. |
| mesoderm | noun | The layer of the blastoderm, between the ectoderm and endoderm; mesoblast. See Illust. of Blastoderm and Ectoderm., The middle body layer in some invertebrates., The middle layer of tissue in some vegetable structures. |
| mesodont | adjective | Having teeth of moderate size. |
| mesogl/a | noun | A thin gelatinous tissue separating the ectoderm and endoderm in certain coelenterates. |
| mesolabe | noun | An instrument of the ancients for finding two mean proportionals between two given lines, required in solving the problem of the duplication of the cube. |
| mesolite | noun | A zeolitic mineral, grayish white or yellowish, occuring in delicate groups of crystals, also fibrous massive. It is a hydrous silicate of alumina, lime, and soda. |
| mesoseme | adjective | Having a medium orbital index; having orbits neither broad nor narrow; between megaseme and microseme. |
| mesotype | noun | An old term covering natrolite or soda mesolite, scolecite or lime mesotype, and mesolite or lime-soda mesotype. |
| mesozoic | adjective | Belonging, or relating, to the secondary or reptilian age, or the era between the Paleozoic and Cenozoic. See Chart of Geology., The Mesozoic age or formation. |
| mesprise | noun | Contempt; scorn., Misadventure; ill-success. |
| mesquite | noun | Alt. of Mesquit |
| messager | noun | A messenger. |
| messidor | noun | The tenth month of the French republican calendar dating from September 22, 1792. It began June 19, and ended July 18. See VendEmiaire. |
| messmate | noun | An associate in a mess. |
| messuage | noun | A dwelling house, with the adjacent buildings and curtilage, and the adjoining lands appropriated to the use of the household. |
| mestinos | plural | of Mestino |
| mestizos | plural | of Mestizo |
| mestling | noun | A kind of brass. See Maslin. |
| metabola | noun | Alt. of Metabole, Alt. of Metabolia |
| metabole | noun | A change or mutation; a change of disease, symptoms, or treatment. |
| metacism | noun | A defect in pronouncing the letter m, or a too frequent use of it. |
| metalled | of Metal | |
| metaling | present participle & vb. noun | of Metal |
| metallic | adjective | Of or pertaining to a metal; of the nature of metal; resembling metal; as, a metallic appearance; a metallic alloy., Of, pertaining to, or characterized by, the essential and implied properties of a metal, as contrasted with a nonmetal or metalloid; basic; antacid; positive. |
| metalmen | plural | of Metalman |
| metalman | noun | A worker in metals. |
| metamere | noun | One of successive or homodynamous parts in animals and plants; one of a series of similar parts that follow one another in a vertebrate or articulate animal, as in an earthworm; a segment; a somite. See Illust. of Loeven’s larva. |
| metaphor | noun | The transference of the relation between one set of objects to another set for the purpose of brief explanation; a compressed simile; e. g., the ship plows the sea. |
| metapode | noun | The posterior division of the foot in the Gastropoda and Pteropoda. |
| metasome | noun | One of the component segments of the body of an animal. |
| metayage | noun | A system of farming on halves. |
| metazoan | noun | One of the Metazoa. |
| metazoic | adjective | Of or pertaining to the Metazoa. |
| metazoon | noun | One of the Metazoa. |
| metecorn | noun | A quantity of corn formerly given by the lord to his customary tenants, as an encouragement to, or reward for, labor and faithful service. |
| meteoric | adjective | Of or pertaining to a meteor, or to meteors; atmospheric, as, meteoric phenomena; meteoric stones., Influenced by the weather; as, meteoric conditions., Flashing; brilliant; transient; like a meteor; as, meteoric fame. |
| meterage | noun | The act of measuring, or the cost of measuring. |
| metewand | noun | A measuring rod. |
| meteyard | noun | A yard, staff, or rod, used as a measure. |
| methenyl | noun | The hypothetical hydrocarbon radical CH, regarded as an essential residue of certain organic compounds. |
| methinks | verb impers. | It seems to me; I think. See Me. |
| methodic | adjective | Alt. of Methodical |
| methoxyl | noun | A hypothetical radical, CH3O, analogous to hydroxyl. |
| methylal | noun | A light, volatile liquid, H2C(OCH3)2, regarded as a complex ether, and having a pleasant ethereal odor. It is obtained by the partial oxidation of methyl alcohol. Called also formal. |
| methylic | adjective | Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, methyl; specifically, designating methyl alcohol. See under Methyl. |
| metonymy | noun | A trope in which one word is put for another that suggests it; as, we say, a man keeps a good table instead of good provisions; we read Virgil, that is, his poems; a man has a warm heart, that is, warm affections. |
| metrical | adjective | Of or pertaining to the meter; arranged in meter; consisting of verses; as, metrical compositions., Of or pertaining to measurement; as, the inch, foot, yard, etc., are metrical terms; esp., of or pertaining to the metric system. |
| metritis | noun | Inflammation of the womb. |
| mezereon | noun | A small European shrub (Daphne Mezereum), whose acrid bark is used in medicine. |
| mezquita | noun | A mosque. |
| mezuzoth | noun | A piece of parchment bearing the Decalogue and attached to the doorpost; — in use among orthodox Hebrews. |