List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary

Auriferous, awr-if′ėr-us, adj. bearing or yielding gold.—v.t. and v.i. Aur′ify, to turn into gold. [L. aurifer—aurum, gold, ferre, to bear.]

Auriform, awr′i-form, adj. ear-shaped. [L. auris, ear, and Form.]

Auriscope, aw′ri-skōp, n. an instrument for examining the Eustachian passage of the ear. [L. auris, ear, and Gr. skopein, to look.]

Aurist, awr′ist, n. one skilled in diseases of the ear. [L. auris, ear.]

Aurochs, awr′oks, n. the European bison or wild ox. [Ger. auerochs. Old High Ger. ûrohso, ur (L. urus, Gr. ouros), a kind of wild ox, and ochs, ox.]

Aurora, aw-rō′ra, n. the dawn: in poetry, the goddess of dawn.—adjs. Aurō′ral, Aurō′rean.—adv. Aurō′rally. [Acc. to Curtius, a reduplicated form for ausosa; from a root seen in Sans. ush, to burn; cog. with Gr. ēōs, dawn, hēlios, the sun; Etruscan, Usil, the god of the sun.]

Aurora Borealis, aw-rō′ra bō-rē-ā′lis, the northern aurora or light: a luminous meteoric phenomenon of electrical character seen in northern latitudes, with a tremulous motion, and giving forth streams of light.—Aurora Australis (aws-trā′lis), a similar phenomenon in the southern hemisphere:—pl. Aurō′ras. [L. borealis, northern—boreas, the north wind. See Austral.]

Auscultation, aws-kult-ā′shun, n. the art of discovering the condition of the lungs and heart by applying the ear or the stethoscope to the part.—v.i. to examine by auscultation.—n. Auscultā′tor, one who practises auscultation, or an instrument for such: in Germany, a title formerly given to one who had passed his first public examination in law, and who was merely retained, not yet employed or paid by government.—adj. Auscult′ātory, relating to auscultation. [L. auscultāre, to listen.]

Ausonian, aw-sō′ni-an, adj. Italian. [L. Ausonia, a poetical name for Italy.]

Auspice, aw′spis, n. an omen drawn from observing birds: augury—generally used in pl. Au′spices, protection: patronage: a good start (generally in phrase, Under the auspices of).—v.t. Au′spicate, to foreshow: to initiate or inaugurate with hopes of good luck:—pr.p. au′spicāting; pa.p. au′spicāted.—adj. Auspi′cious, having good auspices or omens of success: favourable: fortunate: propitious.—adv. Auspi′ciously.—n. Auspi′ciousness. [Fr.—L. auspicium—auspex, auspicis, a bird-seer, from avis, a bird, specĕre, to observe.]

Auster, aws′tėr, n. the south wind. [L.]

Austere, aws-tēr′, adj. harsh: severe: stern: grave: sober: severe in self-discipline, strictly moral or abstinent: severely simple, without luxury.—adv. Austere′ly.—ns. Austere′ness, Auster′ity, quality of being austere: severity of manners or life: harshness: asceticism: severe simplicity of style, dress, or habits. [L. austerus—Gr. austēros—au-ein, to dry.]

Austral, aws′tral, adj. southern.—adj. Australasian (aws-tral-ā′zhi-an), pertaining to Australasia, or the islands and island-groups that lie to the south of Asia.—n. a native or colonist of one of these.—adj. Austrā′lian, of or pertaining to Australia, a large island between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.—n. an aboriginal native of Australia proper, later also a white colonist or resident. [L. australis—auster, the south wind.]

Austrian, aws′tri-an, adj. of or pertaining to Austria, an empire of Central Europe.—n. a native of Austria.

Austringer, aw′string-ėr, n. a keeper of goshawks.—Also A′stringer. [O. Fr. ostruchier, austruchier. See Ostrich.]

Autarchy, awt′är-ki, n. absolute power. [Gr., from autos, self, and archein, to rule.]

Authentic, -al, aw-thent′ik, -al, adj. real: genuine, as opposed to counterfeit, apocryphal: original: true: entitled to acceptance, of established credibility. A distinction is sometimes made between authentic and genuine—the former, that the writing is trustworthy, as setting forth real facts; the latter, that we have it as it left its author's hands—an authentic history: a genuine text.—adv. Authent′ically. [Fr. and L. from Gr. authentēs, one who does anything with his own hand—autos, self.]

Authenticate, aw-thent′ik-āt, v.t. to make authentic: to prove genuine: to give legal validity to: to certify the authorship of.—ns. Authenticā′tion, act of authenticating: confirmation; Authentic′ity, quality of being authentic: state of being true or in accordance with fact: genuineness.

Author, awth′or, n. one who originates or brings anything into being: a beginner or first mover of any action or state of things: the writer of an original book: elliptically for an author's writings: one's authority for something: an informant:—fem. Auth′oress.—adjs. Authō′rial, Auth′orish; Authorīs′able.—n. Authorisā′tion.—v.t. Auth′orise, to give authority to: to sanction: to permit: to justify: to establish by authority.—adj. Auth′orless, anonymous.—ns. Auth′orling, a petty author; Auth′orship, Auth′oring, Auth′orism, state or quality of being an author. [Through Fr. from L. auctor—augēre, auctum, to cause things to increase, to produce.]

Authority, awth-or′it-i, n. legal power or right: power derived from office or character: weight of testimony: permission:—pl. Author′ities, precedents: opinions or sayings carrying weight: persons in power.—adj. Author′itative, having the sanction or weight of authority: dictatorial.—adv. Author′itatively.—n. Author′itativeness. [L. auctoritatem, auctoritas, auctor.]

Autobiography, aw-to-bī-og′raf-i, n. the biography or life of a person written by himself.—n. Autobiog′rapher, one who writes his own life.—adjs. Autobiograph′ic, -al. [Gr. autos, one's self, bios, life, graphein, to write.]

Auto-car, aw′to-kär, n. a vehicle for the road moved from within by steam, electric power, &c. instead of by traction. [Gr. autos, self, and Car.]

Autocarpous, aw-to-kär′pus, adj. applied to such fruit as consists only of the pericarp, with no adnate parts. [Gr. autos, self, karpos, fruit.]

Autochthon, aw-tok′thon, n. one of the primitive inhabitants of a country: an aboriginal:—pl. Autoch′thons and Autoch′thones.—adj. Autoch′thonous.—ns. Autoch′thony, Autoch′thonism, the condition of being autochthonous. [Gr.; made up of autos, self, chthōn, chthonos, the soil; the Athenians claiming to have actually sprung from the soil on which they lived.]

Autocrat, aw′to-krat, n. one who rules by his own power: an absolute sovereign.—n. Autoc′racy, an absolute government by one man: despotism.—adj. Autocrat′ic,—adv. Autocrat′ically. [Gr. autokratēs—autos, self, kratos, power.]

Auto-da-fé, aw′to-da-fā′, n. the public declaration of the judgment passed on heretics in Spain and Portugal by the Inquisition, also the infliction of the punishment which immediately followed thereupon, esp. the public burning of the victims:—pl. Autos-da-fé. [Port. auto da fé = Sp. auto de fe; auto—L. actum, act; da—L. de, of; and fe—L. fides, faith.]

Autogenous, aw-toj′e-nus, adj. self-generated: independent.—n. Autog′eny, a mode of spontaneous generation. [Gr. autogenēs, autos, self, genos, offspring.]

Autograph, aw′to-graf, n. one's own handwriting: a signature: an original manuscript.—v.t. to write with one's hand.—adj. Autograph′ic.—adv. Autograph′ically.—n. Au′tography, act of writing with one's own hand: reproduction of the outline of a writing or drawing by fac-simile. [Gr. autos, self, graphē, writing.]

Autogravure, aw-to-grav′ūr, n. a process of photo-engraving akin to autotype. [Gr. auto, self; Fr. gravure, engraving.]

Autolatry, aw-tol′a-tri, n. worship of one's self.—n. Autol′ogy is merely a justifiable enough scientific study of ourselves. [Gr. autos, self, latreia, worship.]

Autolycus, aw-tol′i-kus, n. a thief: a snapper up of unconsidered trifles: a plagiarist. [From the character in Shakespeare's Winter's Tale.]

Automaton, aw-tom′a-ton, n. a self-moving machine, or one which moves by concealed machinery: a living being regarded as without consciousness: the self-acting power of the muscular and nervous systems, by which movement is effected without intelligent determination: a human being who acts by routine, without intelligence:—pl. Autom′atons, Autom′ata.—adjs. Automat′ic, -al.—adv. Automat′ically.—ns. Autom′atism, automatic or involuntary action: power of self-moving: power of initiating vital processes from within the cell, organ, or organism, independently of any direct or immediate stimulus from without: the doctrine that animals are automata, their motions, &c., being the result of mechanical laws; Autom′atist, one who holds the doctrine of automatism. [Gr. automatos, self-moving—autos, self, and a stem mat-, to strive after, to move.]

Automobile, aw-to-mō′bil, adj. self-moving.—n. a motor-car. [Gr. autos, self, L. mobilis, mobile.]

Automorphic, aw-to-mor′fik, adj. marked by automorphism, the ascription to others of one's own characteristics. [Gr. autos, self, morphē, form.]

Autonomy, aw-ton′om-i, n. the power or right of self-government: (Kant's philos.) the doctrine that the human will carries its guiding principle within itself.—adjs. Auton′omous, Autonom′ic. [Gr.—autos, and nomos, law.]

Autonym, aw′ton-im, n. a writing published under the author's real name. [Gr. autos, self, onoma, a name.]

Autophagous, aw-tof′ag-us, adj. self-devouring.—n. Autoph′agy, sustenance by self-absorption of the tissues of the body. [Gr. autos, self, phagein, to eat.]

Autophoby, aw-tof′ob-i, n. a shrinking from making any reference to one's self. [Gr. autos, self, phobia, fear.]

Autophony, aw-tof′on-i, n. observation of the resonance of one's own voice, heard by placing the ear to the patient's chest. [Gr. autos, self, phōnē, sound.]

Autoplasty, aw′to-plas-ti, n. a mode of surgical treatment which consists in replacing a diseased part by means of healthy tissue from another part of the same body. [Gr. auto-plastos, self-formed.]

Autopsy, aw′top-si, n. personal inspection, esp. the examination of a body after death.—Also Autop′sia. [Gr.; autos, self, opsis, sight.]

Autoptic, -al, aw-topt′ik, -al, adj. seen with one's own eyes.—adv. Autopt′ically. [See Autopsy.]

Autoschediasm, aw-to-sked′i-azm, n. anything extemporised.—v.t. Autosched′iase.—adj. Autoschedias′tic. [Gr. autos, self, schedios, off-hand.]

Autotheism, aw′to-thē-izm, n. assumption of divine powers: the doctrine of the self-subsistence of God, esp. of the second person in the Trinity.—n. Au′totheist, a self-deifier. [Gr. autos, self, theos, a god.]

Autotype, aw′to-tīp, n. a true impress or copy of the original: a process of printing from a photographic negative in a permanent black or other pigment.—v.t. to reproduce by such a process.—n. Autotypog′raphy, a process by which drawings made on gelatine are transferred to a plate from which impressions may be taken. [Gr. autos, self, typos, a stamp.]

Autumn, aw′tum, n. the third season of the year when fruits are gathered in, popularly comprising the months of August, September, and October—in North America, September, October, and November. Astronomically, in the northern hemisphere, it begins at the autumnal equinox, when the sun enters Libra, 22d September, and ends at the winter solstice, when the sun enters Capricorn, 21st December.—adj. Autum′nal.—adv. Autum′nally. [L. autumnus, auctumnus, anciently referred to aug-ēre, as the season of increase; by Corssen and others, to the Sans. av, to do good to.]

Auxesis, awk-sē′sis, n. gradual deepening in force of meaning: hyperbole. [Gr.]

Auxiliar, awg-zil′yar, Auxiliary, awg-zil′yar-i, adj. helping: subsidiary, as troops.—ns. Auxil′iar, an auxiliary; Auxil′iary, a helper: an assistant: (gram.) a verb that helps to form the moods and tenses of other verbs. [L. auxiliaris—auxilium, help—aug-ēre, to increase.]

Ava, ä′va, n. native name in the Sandwich Islands for a species of cordyline yielding an intoxicating drink, also called kava: any similar drink.

Avail, a-vāl′, v.t. to be of value or service to: to benefit: to take the benefit of (used reflexively with of).—v.i. to be of use: to answer the purpose: (obs.) to take or draw advantage: (Amer.) to inform, assure of.—n. benefit: profit: service.—adj. Avail′able, that one may avail one's self of, utilise: profitable: suitable, obtainable: accessible.—ns. Avail′ableness, Availabil′ity, quality of being available: power in promoting an end in view: validity.—advs. Avail′ably; Avail′ingly, in an availing manner. [Fr.—L. ad, to, val-ēre, to be strong, to be worth.]

Avail. Same as Avale.

Avalanche, av′al-ansh, n. a mass of snow and ice sliding down from a mountain: a snow-slip.—v.i. Avāle′ (Spens.), to descend.—v.t. (Spens.) to cause to descend. [Fr. avaler, to slip down—L. ad, to, vall-em, the valley.]

Avant, av′ang, prefix used as adj. in combination, as in Av′ant-cour′ier, one who runs before, in pl. the skirmishers or advance-guard of an army; Av′ant-garde, the vanguard of an army. [Fr.;—L. ante.]

Avanturine. See Aventurine.

Avarice, av′ar-is, n. eager desire for wealth: covetousness.—adj. Avari′cious, extremely covetous: greedy.—adv. Avari′ciously.—n. Avari′ciousness. [Fr.—L. avaritia—avarus, greedy—avēre, to pant after.]

Avast, a-väst′, interj. (naut.) hold fast! stop! [Dut. houd vast, hold fast.]

Avatar, a-va-tär′, n. the descent of a Hindu deity in a visible form: incarnation: (fig.) supreme glorification of any principle. [Sans.; ava, away, down, tar, to pass over.]

Avaunt, a-vawnt′, interj. move on! begone! (Shak.) used as n. 'to give her the avaunt.'—v.i. (Spens.) to advance: (obs.) depart. [Fr. avant, forward—L. ab, from, ante, before.]

Avaunt, a-vawnt′, v.i. (Spens.) to advance boastfully. [O. Fr. avanter—Low L. vanitare, to boast—L. vanus, vain.]

Ave, ā′vē, interj. and n. be well or happy: hail, an address or prayer to the Virgin Mary: in full, Ave Marī′a.—Ave Maria, or Ave Mary, the Hail Mary, or angelic salutation (Luke, i. 28). [L. avēre, to be well or propitious. See Angelus.]

Avenaceous, av′en-ā-shus, adj. of the nature of oats. [L. avena, oats.]

Avenge, a-venj′, v.t. to vindicate: take vengeance on some one on account of some injury or wrong (with on, upon; of obsolete).—adj. Avenge′ful.—ns. Avenge′ment; Aveng′er, one who avenges:—fem. Aveng′eress. [O. Fr. avengier—L. vindicāre. See Vengeance.]

Avens, ā′vens, n. popular name of two species of Geum—the herb bennet (once used to flavour ale) and the sub-alpine mountain-avens. [Fr.]

Aventail, Aventaile, av′en-tāl, n. the flap or movable part of a helmet in front, for admitting air to the wearer. [O. Fr. esventail, air-hole—L. ex, out, ventus, wind.]

Aventre, a-ven′tr, v.t. or v.i. (Spens.) to throw, as a spear or dart. [O. Fr. venter, to cast to the wind.]

Aventure, a-vent′ūr, v.t. obsolete form of Adventure.

Aventurine, a-ven′tū-rin, n. a brown, spangled kind of Venetian glass: a kind of quartz.—Also Avan′turine. [It. avventura, chance—because of the accidental discovery of the glass.]

Avenue, av′en-ū, n. the principal approach to a country-house, usually bordered by trees: a double row of trees, with or without a road: a wide and handsome street, with or without trees, esp. in America: any passage or entrance into a place: (fig.) means of access or attainment. [Fr.: from L. ad, to, venīre, to come.]

Aver, a-vėr′, v.t. to declare to be true: to affirm or declare positively: (law) to prove or justify a plea:—pr.p. aver′ring; pa.p. averred.—n. Aver′ment, positive assertion: (law) a formal offer to prove a plea: the proof offered. [Fr. avérer—L. ad, and verus, true.]

Average, av′ėr-āj, n. the mean value or quantity of a number of values or quantities: any expense incurred beyond the freight, payable by the owner of the goods shipped, as in the phrase Petty average: any loss or damage to ship or cargo from unavoidable accidental causes—Particular average. Again, General average is the apportionment of loss caused by measures taken for the ship's safety, as cutting away the masts, throwing overboard cargo, accepting towage, or the like.—adj. containing a mean value: ordinary.—v.t. to fix an average.—v.i. to exist in, or form, a mean quantity. [Dr Murray says the word first appears about 1500 in connection with the maritime trade of the Mediterranean (Fr. avarie, Sp. averia, It. avaria); probably averia is a derivative of It. avere (O. Fr. aveir), goods, the original sense being a 'charge on property or goods.' The It. avere and O. Fr. aveir meant goods, substance, cattle—L. habēre, to have. The Old Eng. aver in the same sense is obsolete, but in Scotland aver still means an old horse.]

Averroism, av-er-ō′izm, n. the doctrine of the Arabian philosopher Averrhoes (died 1198), that the soul is perishable, the only immortal soul being the world-soul from which individual souls went forth, and to which they return.—n. Averrō′ist, one who holds this doctrine.

Averruncate, a-vėr-ungk′āt, v.t. (rare) to avert or ward off: to pull up by the roots.—ns. Averruncā′tion, act of averting: extirpation; Averrunc′ātor, an instrument for cutting off branches of trees. [L. averruncāre, to avert.]

Averse, a-vėrs′, adj. having a disinclination or hatred (with to; from is, however, still used): disliking: turned away from anything: turned backward; (her.) turned so as to show the back, as of a right hand.—n. Aversā′tion (obs.).—adv. Averse′ly.—n. Averse′ness. [L. aversus, turned away, pa.p. of avert-ĕre. See Avert.]

Aversion, a-vėr′-shun, n. dislike: hatred: the object of dislike. [See Avert.]

Avert, a-vėrt′, v.t. to turn from or aside: to prevent: ward off.—p.adj. Avert′ed.—adv. Avert′edly.—adj. Avert′ible, capable of being averted. [L. avert-ēre—ab, from, vert-ĕre, to turn.]

Avertiment, for Advertisement (Milton).

Aves, ā′vēz, n.pl. birds. [L.]

Aviary, ā′vi-ar-i, n. a place for keeping birds.—n. A′viarist, one who keeps an aviary. [L. aviarium—avis, a bird.]

Aviculture, ā′vi-kul-tūr, n. rearing of birds: bird-fancying. [L. avis, bird, and Culture.]

Avidity, a-vid′i-ti, n. eagerness: greediness.—adj. Av′id, greedy: eager. [L. aviditas—avidus, greedy—avēre, to pant after.]

Avifauna, ā′vi-fawn-a, n. the whole of the birds found in a region or country: the fauna as regards birds. [L. avis, bird, and Fauna.]

Avised. See Black-avised.

Aviso. See Adviso (under Advice).—Avis, Avise, obsolete forms of Advise.—adj. Avise′ful (Spens.), watchful, circumspect.

Avital, av′i-tal, adj. of a grandfather: ancestral. [L. avitus, pertaining to a grandfather (avus).]

Avizandum, av-iz-an′dum, n. (Scots law) private consideration of a case by a judge before giving judgment.—Also Avisan′dum. [Gerund of Low L. avisare, to advise.]

Avocado, a-vo-kä′do, n. the alligator-pear, a West Indian fruit. [Corr. from Mexican.]

Avocation, a-vo-kā′shun, n. formerly and properly, a diversion or distraction from one's regular employment—now, one's proper business = Vocation: business which calls for one's time and attention: (arch.) diversion of the thoughts from any employment: the calling of a case from an inferior to a superior court. [Through Fr. from avocation-em, a calling away—ab, from, vocāre, to call.]

Avocet, Avoset, av′o-set, n. a widely spread genus of birds, with webbed feet, long legs, bare thighs, a long, slender, upward-curved, elastic bill, and snipe-like habit. [Fr. avocette, It. avosetta.]

Avoid, a-void′, v.t. to try to escape from: to shun: (law) to invalidate: (Shak.) to leave, to quit.—adj. Avoid′able.—n. Avoid′ance, the act of avoiding or shunning: act of annulling. [Pfx. a- = Fr. es = L. ex, out, and Void.]

Avoirdupois, av-or-dū-poiz′, adj. or n. a system of weights in which the lb. equals 16 oz. [O. Fr. aveir de pes (avoir du pois), to have weight—L. hab-ēre, to have, pensum, that which is weighed.]

Avoset. See Avocet.

Avouch, a-vowch′, v.t. to avow: to assert or own positively: to maintain: guarantee; to appeal to. v.i. to give assurance of.—n. (Shak.) evidence.—adj. Avouch′able.—n. Avouch′ment. [O. Fr. avochier—L. advocāre, to call to one's aid. See Vouch.]

Avoure, a-vowr′, n. (Spens.) confession, acknowledgment, justification. [See Avow.]

Avow, a-vow′, v.t. to declare openly: to own or confess: to affirm or maintain: (law) to justify an act done.—n. a solemn promise: a vow.—pa.p. as adj. self-acknowledged.—adj. Avow′able.—ns. Avow′ableness, Avow′ance (obs.); Avow′al, a positive declaration: a frank confession.—adv. Avow′edly.—n. Avow′ry (law), the act of avowing and justifying in one's own right the distraining of goods: (obs.) advocacy considered as personified in a patron saint. [O. Fr. avouer, orig. to swear fealty to—L. ad, and Low L. votāre—votum, a vow. See Vow.]

Avulse, a-vuls′, v.t. to pluck or tear away.—n. Avul′sion, forcible separation. [L. avell-ĕre, avulsum.]

Avuncular, a-vung′kū-lar, adj. pertaining to an uncle.—v.t. or v.i. Avunc′ulise (Fuller), to act like an uncle. [L. avunculus, an uncle.]

Await, a-wāt′, v.t. to wait or look for: to be in store for: to attend: (obs.) to lie in wait for, to watch. [Through Fr. from the common Teutonic root of Ger. wacht, en, Eng. Wait.]

Awake, a-wāk′, v.t. to rouse from sleep: to rouse from a state of inaction.—v.i. to cease sleeping: to rouse one's self from sleep or indifference:—pa.p. awaked′, or awoke′.—adj. not asleep: vigilant.—adj. Awak′able, capable of being awakened.—v.t. and v.i. Awak′en, to awake: to rouse into interest or attention: (theol.) to call to a sense of sin.—adj. Awak′enable.—ns. Awak′enment, Awak′ing, Awak′ening, the act of awaking or ceasing to sleep: an arousing from indifference: a revival of religion.—To be awake to, to be fully aware of anything. [A.S. awæcnan. See Wake, Watch.]

Awanting, a-wont′ing, adj. wanting: missing. [Framed as if from a verb awant—mostly Scotch.]

Award, a-wawrd′, v.t. to adjudge: to determine.—n. judgment: final decision, esp. of arbitrators.—adj. Award′able, that may be awarded.—n. Award′ment. [O. Fr. ewarder, eswarder, from an assumed Romanic form compounded of ex, thoroughly, and guardare, watch. See Ward, Guard.]

Aware, a-wār′, adj. wary: informed, conscious (with of)—ns. Aware′dom (H. Walpole), Aware′ness. [A.S. gewær, pfx. ge-, and wær, cautious. See Wary.]

Awarn, a-wawrn′, v.t. (Spens.) to warn. [Pfx, a-, and Warn.]

Awash, a-wosh′, adv. on a level with the surface of the water: floating at the mercy of the waves. [Pfx. a-, and Wash.]

Awaste, a-wāst′, adv. wasting.

Awatch, a-wotch′, adv. watching.

Awave, a-wāv′, adv. waving.

Away, a-wā′, adv. onward, along: forthwith: in the direction of, about: absent: gone, dead, fainted.—interj. begone!—Away (elliptically), to go away, esp. imperatively, Away! or Away with you!—Away with him = take him away.—Fire away, fire at once, without hesitation.—I cannot away with = bear or endure.—Make away with, to destroy.—Once and away, once in a way (the usual modern form), once.—There away, in that direction, thereabout.—To do away (with), to make an end of anything; To explain away, to explain till the thing that needs explanation is itself removed; To fall away (with from), to desert; To fight away, to go on fighting; To work away, to keep on working. [A.S. a-weg—prep. a, on, weg, way, lit. 'on one's way.']

Awe, aw, n. reverential fear, or wonder: dread: (arch.) power to inspire awe.—v.t. to strike with or influence by fear.—adj. Awe′less, without fear.—n. Awe′lessness.—adjs. Awe′some, Aw′some (Scot.), full of awe: inspiring awe: weird, dreadful.—v.t. Awe′-strike, to strike with awe.—adjs. Awe′-struck, struck or affected with awe; Aw′ful, full of awe: dreadful: inspiring respect: expressive of awe: (slang) ugly: and as a mere intensive of anything.—adv. Aw′fully (also in slang merely = very).—n. Aw′fulness. [Ice. agi, A.S. ege, fear; cog. with Gael. eaghal; Gr. achos, anguish.]

Aweary, a-wē′ri, adj. weary (with of).—adj. Awea′ried, weary. [Pfx. a-, and Weary.]

A-weather, a-weth′ėr, adv. (naut.) towards the weather or windward side, in the direction from which the wind blows, applied to the position of a helm when its tiller is moved to the windward side of the ship—opp. to A-lee. [Prep. a, on, and Weather.]

A-week, a-wēk′, adv. phrase, in the week, per week. [Prep. a, and Week.]

A-weigh, a-wā′, adv. in the act of being weighed, as an anchor, when the strain on the cable has just raised it from the bottom. [Prep. a, and Weigh.]

Awhape, a-hwāp′, v.t. (Spens.) to strike: to terrify. [Dr Murray compares the Goth. af hwapjan, to choke, which would give an A.S. ofhweppan. See Whap.]

Awhile, a-hwīl′, adv. for some time: for a short time. [A.S. áne hwíle = a while; combined as early as 13th century.]

A-wing, a-wing′, adv. phrase, on the wing. [Prep. a, and Wing.]

Awkward, awk′ward, adj. clumsy: ungraceful: embarrassed: difficult to deal with: (Shak.) unfavourable: (obs.) froward.—adj. Awk′wardish.—adv. Awk′wardly, clumsily, embarrassingly, dangerously.—n. Awk′wardness. [Prob. Ice. afug, turned wrong way, and suff. -ward, expressing direction.]

Awl, awl, n. a pointed instrument for boring small holes in leather. [A.S. æl; cog. with Ice. alr, Ger. ahle.]

Awn, awn, n. a scale or husk: beard of corn or grass.—adjs. Awned; Awn′less; Awn′y. [Ice. ögn; Ger. ahne.]

Awning, awn′ing, n. a covering to shelter from the sun's rays. [Perh. due to the Fr. auvent, a screen of cloth before a shop window, with Eng. ending -ing. Skeat suggests Pers. áwan, áwang, anything suspended. The history of the word is still unsolved.]

Awoke, a-wōk′, did awake—pa.t. of Awake.

Awork, a-wurk′, adv. at work. [Prep. a, and Work.]

Awrack, a-rak′, adv. in a state of wreck.

Awrong, a-rong′, adv. wrongly.

Awry, a-rī′, adj. twisted to one side: distorted, crooked: wrong: perverse.—adv. unevenly: perversely: erroneously.—To look awry, to look askance at anything; To walk awry, to go wrong. [Prep. a, on, and Wry.]

Axe, Ax, aks, n. a well-known tool or instrument for hewing or chopping, usually of iron with a steel edge:—pl. Ax′es. [A.S. æx; L. ascia; Gr. axinē.]

Axile, aks′il, adj. lying in the axis of anything, as an embryo in the axis of a seed.

Axilla, aks′il-la, n. (anat.) the armpit.—ns. Ax′illa, Ax′il (bot.), the angle between the upper side of a branch and the trunk, or a petiole and the stem it springs from.—adjs. Ax′illar, Ax′illary. [L. axilla, the armpit.]

Axinomancy, aks′in-o-man-si, n. a mode of divination from the motions of an axe poised upon a stake, or of an agate placed upon a red-hot axe. [Gr. axinē, an axe, and manteia, divination.]

Axiom, aks′yum, n. a self-evident truth: a universally received principle in an art or science.—adjs. Axiomat′ic, Axiomat′ical.—adv. Axiomat′ically. [Gr. axiōma—axio-ein, to think worth, to take for granted—axios, worth.]

Axis, aks′is, n. the axle, or the line, real or imaginary, on which a body revolves: the straight line about which the parts of a body or system are systematically arranged, or which passes through the centre of all the corresponding parallel sections of it, as of a cylinder, globe, or spheroid. The axis of a curved line is formed by a right line dividing the curve into two symmetrical parts, as in the parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola:—pl. Axes (aks′ēz).—adj. Ax′ial.—adv. Ax′ially.—n. Ax′oid, a curve generated by the revolution of a point round an advancing axis.—Axis of a lens, the right line passing through a lens in such a manner as to be perpendicular to both sides of it; Axis of a telescope, a right line which passes through the centres of all the glasses in the tube; Axis of incidence, the line passing through the point of incidence perpendicularly to the refracting surface; Axis of refraction, the continuation of the same line through the refracting medium; Axis of the equator, the polar diameter of the earth, which is also the axis of rotation; Axis of the eye, the right line passing through the centres of the pupil and the crystalline lens. [L. axis; cf. Gr. axōn, Sans. aksha, A.S. eax.]

Axis, aks′is, n. the hog-deer of India. [L. axis, Pliny's name for an Indian quadruped.]

Axle, aks′l, Axle-tree, aks′l-trē, n. the pin or rod in the nave of a wheel on which the wheel turns: a pivot or support of any kind; the imaginary line of ancient cosmographers on which a planet revolved.—adj. Ax′led. [More prob. Norse öxull than a dim. from A.S. eax.]

Axolotl, aks′o-lotl, n. a reptile found in Mexico, allied to the tailed batrachia, but distinguished by retaining its gills through life. [Mexican.]

Ay, ā, interj. ah! oh! alas! esp. in ay me! [M. E. ey, ei, perh. from Fr. ahi, aï; cf. Sp. ay de mi!]

Ay, Aye, ī, adv. yea: yes: indeed.—n. Aye (ī), a vote in the affirmative: (pl.) those who vote in the affirmative. [Perh. a dial. form of aye, ever; perh. a variant of yea.]

Ayah, ā′ya, n. a native Indian waiting-maid. [Anglo-Ind.: Hind. āya, derived from the Port. aia, nurse.]

Aye, Ay, ā, adv. ever: always: for ever.—For aye, For ever and aye, for ever, to all eternity.—In combination, with sense of 'ever,' as in Shakespeare's 'aye-remaining,' &c. [Ice. ei, ever; A.S. a; conn. with Age, Ever.]

Aye-aye, ī′ī, n. a quadruped about the size of a hare found in Madagascar, closely allied to the lemurs, with much of the aspect of a squirrel. [Malagasy aiay.]

Ayelp, a-yėlp′, adv. yelping.

Ayenbite, ī′en-bīt, n. (obs.) remorse, as in the book-title Ayenbite of Inwyt ('remorse of conscience'). [M. E. ayen, again bite.]

Aygulets, obsolete form of Aiglets.

Ayme, obsolete form of Aim.

Ayry. See Eyry.

Azalea, a-zā′le-a, n. a genus of shrubby plants, with fine white, yellow, or crimson flowers, mostly natives of China or North America, closely allied to the rhododendron. [Gr. azaleos, dry—aza, dryness.]

Azimuth, az′im-uth, n. the arc of the horizon between the meridian of a place and a vertical circle passing through any celestial body.—adj. Az′imuthal, pertaining to the azimuth. [Ar. as-sumūt, as = al, the, sūmut, samt, direction. See Zenith.]

Azo-, in combination, for Azote.

Azoic, a-zō′ik, adj. without life: before the existence of animal life: formed when there was no animal life on the globe, as rocks. [Gr. a, neg., and zōē, life—za-ein, to live.]

Azonic, a-zon′ik, adj. not limited to a zone, not local. [Gr.; a, neg., zōnē, a belt region.]

Azote, a-zōt′, n. an old name for nitrogen, so called because it does not sustain animal life.—adj. Azot′ic.—v.t. Az′otise, to impregnate with acid.—n. Az′otite, a salt of azotic or nitrous acid.—adj. Azot′ous, nitrous. [Gr. a, neg., and za-ein, to live.]

Azoth, äz′ōth, n. the alchemist's name for mercury: Paracelsus's universal remedy. [From Ar. az-zāūg, az = al, the, zāūg, from Pers. zhīwah, quicksilver.]

Azrael, az′rā-el, n. in Mohammedan mythology, the angel of death.

Aztec, az′tek, adj. relating to or descended from the Aztecs, the dominant tribe in Mexico at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards.

Azure, azh′ūr, or ā′zhūr, adj. of a faint blue: sky-coloured; clear, cloudless.—n. a delicate blue colour: the sky.—adjs. Azurē′an, Az′urine, azure.—n. Az′urite, blue carbonate of copper.—adjs. Az′urn (Milton), azure; Az′ury, bluish. [O. Fr. azur—Low L. azura—Ar. (al) lazward, Pers. lājward, lapis lazuli, blue colour.]

Azygous, az′i-gus, adj. not yoked or joined with another: (anat.) not one of a pair, as a muscle. [Gr. azygos—a, neg., and zygos, a yoke, from zeugnumi, to join.]

Azymous, az′i-mus, adj. unfermented: unleavened.—ns. Az′ym, Az′yme, unleavened bread; Az′ymite, a member of a church using unleavened bread in the Eucharist—a name applied by the Eastern Church to the Western, as well as to the Armenian and Maronite Churches. [Gr. azymos—a, neg., ēzym, leaven.]

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the second letter of our alphabet, called by the Phœnicians beth, 'the house,' coresponding to Greek βετα, 'beta.'—B in music is the seventh note of the scale of C major; B or B flat, a humorous euphemism for the domestic bug.

Baa, bä, n. the cry of a sheep.—v.i. to cry or bleat as a sheep.—n. Baa′ing. [From the sound.]

Baal, bā′al, n. the chief male deity of the Phœnician nations: a false god generally:—pl. Bā′alim.—ns. Bā′alism; Bā′alite. [Heb.]

Babble, bab′bl, v.i. to speak like a baby: to make a continuous murmuring sound like a brook, &c.: to make a babbling noise: to tell secrets.—v.t. to prate: to utter.—adjs. Bab′blative, Bab′bly.—ns. Bab′ble, Bab′blement, Bab′bling, idle senseless talk: prattle: confused murmur, as of a stream; Bab′bler, one who babbles. [Prob. imit., from the repeated syllable ba; cf. Dut. babbelen, Ger. pappelen, Fr. babiller.]

Babe, bāb, Baby, bā′bi, n. an infant or child: a doll, puppet: the reflection of one's self in miniature seen in the pupil of another's eye.—ns. Bā′by-farm′er, one who takes in infants to nurse on payment; Bā′byhood.—adj. Bā′byish.—n. Bā′by-jump′er, a seat suspended from the ceiling of a room by elastic straps, to enable a baby to jump. [Prob. imitative. See Babble.]

Babel, bā′bel, n. a lofty structure: a confused combination of sounds: a scene of confusion.—ns. Bā′beldom, Bā′belism. [Heb. Babel, explained in Gen. xi. as confusion.]

Babiroussa, -russa, ba-bi-rōō′sa, n. a species of wild hog found in the East Indies, often called the horned or deer hog. [Malay bâbi, hog, and rûsa, deer.]

Baboo, bä′bōō, n. orig. the Hindu title corresponding to our Mr, but often applied disparagingly to a Hindu with a superficial English education, or adjectively as in 'baboo English,' which is more copious than correct, with long and learned words often most ingeniously misapplied.—ns. Ba′boodom, Ba′booism. [Hind. bābū.]

Baboon, ba-bōōn′, n. a species of large monkey, having a long face, dog-like tusks, large lips, and a short tail.—n. Baboon′ery.—adj. Baboon′ish. [Fr. babouin; remoter origin unknown.]

Babylonian, bab-i-lōn′i-an, adj. pertaining to Babylon: hence (fig.) huge, gigantic: Romish, popish (obs. from the identification with Rome of the scarlet woman of Rev. xvii.); Babel-like, confused in language.—Also Babylon′ish.

Baccalaureate, bak-ka-law′re-āt, n. the university degree of bachelor.—adj. Baccalau′rean [Low L. baccalaureus, corrupted from, baccalarius, with some imaginary reference to bacca lauri, the laurel berry. See Bachelor.]

Baccarat, Baccara, bak-ar-ā′, n. a French game of cards played by any number of betters and a banker. [Fr. baccara.]

Baccate, bak′āt, adj. having berries: berry-like or pulpy.—adjs. Bacciferous (bak-sif′ėr-us), bearing berries; Bac′ciform, of the shape of a berry; Bacciv′orous, living on berries. [L. baccatus—bacca, a berry.]

Bacchanal, bak′a-nal, n. a worshipper of Bacchus: one who indulges in drunken revels: a dance or song in honour of Bacchus.—adj. relating to drunken revels—also Bacchanā′lian.—ns.pl. Bacchanā′lia, Bac′chanals, originally feasts in honour of Bacchus: drunken revels.—n. Bacchanā′lianism.—n. and adj. Bacchant (bak′kant), a priest of Bacchus, the god of wine: a reveller: a drunkard.—n. Bacchante (bak-kant′, bak′kant, bak-kant′i), a priestess of Bacchus, the god of wine: a female bacchanal:—pl. Bacchant′es.—adj. Bacchic (bak′kik), relating to Bacchus: jovial: drunken. [L. Bacchanalis, Bacchus, Gr. Bacchos, the god of wine.]

Baccy, Bacco, abbreviations of Tobacco.

Bacharach, bak′ar-ak, n. an excellent wine named from Bacharach, a town on the Rhine.

Bachelor, bach′el-or, n. a young knight who followed the banner of another, as being too young to display his own: an unmarried man: one who has taken his first degree at a university.—ns. Bach′elorhood, Bach′elorship; Bach′elorism, habit of a bachelor; Bach′elor's-but′ton, the popular name of the double-flowered yellow or white varieties of buttercup.—Knight bachelor, title of one who has been knighted, but not attached to any special order. [O. Fr. bacheler. Ety. disputed; acc. to Brachet from Low L. baccalarius, a farm-servant, orig. a cowherd, from bacca, Low L. for vacca, a cow.]

Bacillus, ba-sil′us, n. properly the name of a distinct genus of Schizomycetes, but popularly used in the same sense as Bacterium:—pl. Bacil′lī.—adjs. Bacil′lar, Bacil′lary, of the shape or nature of a bacillus, consisting of little rods.—n. Bacil′licide, that which destroys bacilli.—adj. Bacil′liform. [Low L. bacillus, dim. of baculus, a rod.]

Back, bak, n. a brewer's or dyer's tub or trough. [Dut. bak.]

Back, bak, n. the hinder part of the body in man, and the upper part in beasts, extending from the neck and shoulders to the extremity of the backbone: put for the whole body in speaking of clothes: the hinder part, or the part opposite to the front side: the convex part of a book, opposite to the opening of the leaves: the thick edge of a knife or the like: the upright hind part of a chair: the surface of the sea, or of a river: the keel and keelson of a ship: (football) one of the players stationed behind the 'forwards,' the full back's duty being merely to guard the goal: (mining) that side of an inclined mineral lode which is nearest the surface of the ground—the back of a level is the ground between it and the level above.—adv. to the place from which one came: to a former state or condition: behind: behind in time: in return: again.—v.t. to get upon the back of: to help, as if standing at one's back: to force back: to support one's opinion by a wager or bet—'to back a horse,' to bet money on his winning in a race, 'to back the field,' to bet upon all the horses in a field, against one in particular: to countersign a warrant, or indorse a cheque or bill; to write or print at the back of, as a parliamentary bill, or the like: to put or propel backward, or in the opposite direction, by reversing the action, as of an engine or a boat—hence the phrases, To back the oars, To back water.—v.i. to move or go back.—n. Back′-band, a broad strap or chain passing over the cart saddle, and serving to keep up the shafts of a vehicle.—v.t. Back′bite, to speak evil of any one behind his back or in his absence.—ns. Back′biter; Back′biting; Back′-board, a board placed at the back of a cart, boat, &c.: a board fastened across the back to straighten the figure; Back′bond (Scots law), a deed attaching a qualification or condition to the terms of a conveyance or other instrument—used when particular circumstances render it necessary to express in a separate form the limitations or qualifications of a right; Back′bone, the bone of the back, the vertebral column: the main support of anything: mainstay: firmness, reliableness; Back′-door, a door in the back part of a building: (attrib.) unworthily secret: clandestine.—adj. Backed, as in humpbacked.—ns. Back′-end, the later part of a season: the late autumn; Back′er, one who backs or supports another in a contest: one who bets on a horse or the like; Back′-fall, a fall on the back in wrestling—also figuratively: a lever in the coupler of an organ; Back′friend (obs.), a pretended friend: a backer, a friend who stands at one's back; Back′ground, ground at the back: a place of obscurity: the space behind the principal figures of a picture; Back′-hair, the long hair at the back of a woman's head; Back′-hand, the hand turned backwards in making a stroke: handwriting with the letters sloped backwards.—adj. Back′-hand′ed, with the hand turned backward (as of a blow): indirect.—ns. Back′-hand′er, a blow with the back of the hand: an extra glass of wine out of turn, the bottle being passed back; Back′ing, support at the back: mounting of a horse: the action of putting back: a body of helpers: anything used to form a back or line the back; Back′ing-down, shirking; Back′-lash, the jarring reaction of a wheel in a machine when the motion is not uniform; Back′-log, a log at the back of a fire.—adj. Back′most, farthest to the back.—ns. Back′-piece, Back′-plate, a piece or plate of armour for the back; Back′-set, a setting back, reverse: an eddy or counter-current; Back′side, the back or hinder side or part of anything: the hinder part of an animal; Back′-sight, in surveying, a sight taken backwards: the sight of a rifle nearer the stock; Back′-slang, slang in which every word is pronounced backwards.—v.t. Backslide′, to slide or fall back in faith or morals:—pa.p. backslid′, or backslid′den.—ns. Backslid′er; Backslid′ing.—n.pl. Back′stairs, back or private stairs of a house.—adj. secret or underhand.—n.pl. Back′stays, ropes or stays extending from the topmast-heads to the sides of a ship, and slanting a little backward, to second the shrouds in supporting the mast when strained by a weight of sail in a fresh wind: any stay or support at the back.—ns. Back′stitch, a method of sewing in which, for every new stitch, the needle enters behind, and comes out in front of, the end of the previous one; Back′sword, a sword with a back or with only one edge: a stick with a basket-handle; Backsword′man (Shak.); Back′-wash, a backward current.—v.t. to affect with back-wash: to clean the oil from wool after combing.—n. Back′water, water held back in a mill-stream or river by the obstruction of a dam below—a pool or belt of water connected with a river, but not in the line of its course or current: water thrown back by the turning of a water-wheel: a backward current of water: the swell of the sea formed by the paddles of a steamship.—n.pl. Back′woods, the forest or uncultivated part of a country beyond the cleared country, as in North American Backwoods′man.—Back! go back, turn back (imperatively).—At the back of (in U.S. often Back of), in support or pursuit; On, Upon the back of, weighing down as a burden.—To and back (Shak.), forward and backward.—To back down, to abandon one's opinion or position; To back out, to recede from an engagement or promise; To back up, to give support to; To be on one's back, to have come to the end of one's resources; To break the back of, to overburden, to complete the hardest part of a task; To cast behind the back (B.), to forgive; To set or put up the back, to arouse to resentment; To the backbone, thoroughly. [A.S. bæc, Sw. bak, Dan. bag.]