Aprication Ap`ri·ca"tion noun Basking in the sun. [ R.]

Apricot A"pri·cot noun [ Middle English apricock , abricot , French abricot , from Spanish albaricoque or Portuguese albricoque , from Arabic albirqūq , al-burqūq . Though the E. and F. form abricot is derived from the Arabic through the Spanish, yet the Arabic word itself was formed from the Greek praiko`kia , plural (Diosc. c. 100) from Latin praecoquus , praecox , early ripe. The older E. form apricock was probably taken direct from Portuguese See Precocious , Cook .] (Botany) A fruit allied to the plum, of an orange color, oval shape, and delicious taste; also, the tree ( Prunus Armeniaca of Linnæus) which bears this fruit. By cultivation it has been introduced throughout the temperate zone.

April A"pril noun [ Latin Aprilis . Middle English also Averil , French Avril , from Latin Aprilis .] 1. The fourth month of the year.

2. Fig.: With reference to April being the month in which vegetation begins to put forth, the variableness of its weather, etc.

The April's her eyes; it is love's spring.
Shak.

April fool , one who is sportively imposed upon by others on the first day of April.

Apriorism A`pri·o"rism noun [ Confer French apriorisme .] An a priori principle.

Apriority A`pri·or"i·ty noun The quality of being innate in the mind, or prior to experience; a priori reasoning.

Aprocta A·proc"ta (ȧ*prŏk"tȧ) noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek 'a priv. + prwkto`s anus.] (Zoology) A group of Turbellaria in which there is no anal aperture.

Aproctous A·proc"tous (-tŭs) adjective (Zoology) Without an anal orifice.

Apron A"pron (ā"pŭrn or ā"prŭn; 277) noun [ Middle English napron , Old French naperon , French napperon , dim. of Old French nape , French nappe , cloth, tablecloth, Late Latin napa , from Latin mappa , napkin, table napkin. See Map .] 1. An article of dress, of cloth, leather, or other stuff, worn on the fore part of the body, to keep the clothes clean, to defend them from injury, or as a covering. It is commonly tied at the waist by strings.

2. Something which by its shape or use suggests an apron; as, (a) The fat skin covering the belly of a goose or duck. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. (b) A piece of leather, or other material, to be spread before a person riding on an outside seat of a vehicle, to defend him from the rain, snow, or dust; a boot. "The weather being too hot for the apron ." Hughes. (c) (Gun.) A leaden plate that covers the vent of a cannon. (d) (Shipbuilding) A piece of carved timber, just above the foremost end of the keel. Totten . (e) A platform, or flooring of plank, at the entrance of a dock, against which the dock gates are shut. (f) A flooring of plank before a dam to cause the water to make a gradual descent. (g) (Mech.) The piece that holds the cutting tool of a planer. (h) (Plumbing) A strip of lead which leads the drip of a wall into a gutter; a flashing. (i) (Zoology) The infolded abdomen of a crab.

Apron man A"pron man` A man who wears an apron; a laboring man; a mechanic. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Apron string A"pron string` The string of an apron.

To be tied to a wife's or mother's apron strings , to be unduly controlled by a wife or mother.

He was so made that he could not submit to be tied to the apron strings even of the best of wives.
Macaulay.

Aproned A"proned adjective Wearing an apron.

A cobbler aproned , and a parson gowned.
Pope.

Apronful A"pron·ful noun ; plural Apronfuls The quantity an apron can hold.

Apronless A"pron·less adjective Without an apron.

Apropos Ap"ro·pos` (ăp"ro*pō`) adjective & adverb [ French à propos ; à (L. ad ) + propos purpose, Latin proposium plan, purpose, from proponere to propose. See Propound .] 1. Opportunely or opportune; seasonably or seasonable.

A tale extremely apropos .
Pope.

2. By the way; to the purpose; relevant; 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.

Apse Apse (ăps) noun ; plural Apses (- sĕz). [ See Apsis .] 1. (Architecture) (a) A projecting part of a building, esp. of a church, having in the plan a polygonal or semicircular termination, and, most often, projecting from the east end. In early churches the Eastern apse was occupied by seats for the bishop and clergy. Hence: (b) The bishop's seat or throne, in ancient churches.

2. A reliquary, or case in which the relics of saints were kept.

» This word is also written apsis and absis .

Apsidal Ap"si·dal (ăp"sĭ*d a l) adjective 1. (Astron.) Of or pertaining to the apsides of an orbit.

2. (Architecture) Of or pertaining to the apse of a church; as, the apsidal termination of the chancel.

Apsides Ap"si·des (ăp"sĭ*dēz) noun plural See Apsis .

Apsis Ap"sis (ăp"sĭs) noun ; plural Apsides (ăp"sĭ*dēz). See Apse . [ Latin apsis , absis , Greek "apsi`s , "apsi^dos , a tying, fastening, the hoop of a wheel, the wheel, a bow, arch, vault, from "a`ptein to fasten.] 1. (Astron.) One of the two points of an orbit, as of a planet or satellite, which are at the greatest and least distance from the central body, corresponding to the aphelion and perihelion of a planet, or to the apogee and perigee of the moon. The more distant is called the higher apsis ; the other, the lower apsis ; and the line joining them, the line of apsides .

2. (Math.) In a curve referred to polar coördinates, any point for which the radius vector is a maximum or minimum.

3. (Architecture) Same as Apse .

Apt Apt adjective [ French apte , Latin aptus , from obsolete apere to fasten, to join, to fit, akin to apisci to reach, attain: confer Greek ... to fasten, Sanskrit āpta fit, from āp to reach attain.] 1. Fit or fitted; suited; suitable; appropriate.

They have always apt instruments.
Burke.

A river . . . apt to be forded by a lamb.
Jer. Taylor.

2. Having an habitual tendency; habitually liable or likely; -- used of things.

My vines and peaches . . . were apt to have a soot or smuttiness upon their leaves and fruit.
Temple.

This tree, if unprotected, is apt to be stripped of the leaves by a leaf-cutting ant.
Lubbock.

3. Inclined; disposed customarily; given; ready; -- used of persons.

Apter to give than thou wit be to ask.
Beau. & Fl.

That lofty pity with which prosperous folk are apt to remember their grandfathers.
F. Harrison.

4. Ready; especially fitted or qualified (to do something); quick to learn; prompt; expert; as, a pupil apt to learn; an apt scholar. "An apt wit." Johnson.

Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die.
Shak.

I find thee apt . . . Now, Hamlet, hear.
Shak.

Syn. -- Fit; meet; suitable; qualified; inclined; disposed; liable; ready; quick; prompt.

Apt Apt transitive verb [ Latin aptare . See Aptate .] To fit; to suit; to adapt. [ Obsolete] " To apt their places." B. Jonson.

That our speech be apted to edification.
Jer. Taylor.

Aptable Apt"a·ble adjective [ Late Latin aptabilis , from Latin aptare .] Capable of being adapted. [ Obsolete] Sherwood.

Aptate Ap"tate transitive verb [ Latin aptatus , past participle of aptare . See Apt .] To make fit. [ Obsolete] Bailey

Aptera Ap"te·ra noun plural [ New Latin aptera , from Greek ... without wings; 'a priv. + ... wing, ... to fly.] (Zoology) Insects without wings, constituting the seventh Linnæn order of insects, an artificial group, which included Crustacea, spiders, centipeds, and even worms. These animals are now placed in several distinct classes and orders.

Apteral Ap"ter·al adjective 1. (Zoology) Apterous.

2. (Architecture) 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 . R. Cyc.

Apteran Ap"ter·an noun (Zoology) One of the Aptera.

Apteria Ap·te"ri·a noun plural [ New Latin See Aptera .] (Zoology) Naked spaces between the feathered areas of birds. See Pteryliæ .

Apterous Ap"ter·ous adjective 1. (Zoology) Destitute of wings; apteral; as, apterous insects.

2. (Botany) Destitute of winglike membranous expansions, as a stem or petiole; -- opposed to alate .

Apteryges Ap·ter"y·ges noun plural [ New Latin See Apteryx .] (Zoology) An order of birds, including the genus Apteryx.

Apteryx Ap"te·ryx noun [ Greek 'a priv. + pte`ryx wing. Confer Aptera .] (Zoology) 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.

Aptitude Apt"i·tude noun [ French aptitude , Late Latin aptitudo , from Latin aptus . See Apt , and confer Attitude .] 1. A natural or acquired disposition or capacity for a particular purpose, or tendency to a particular action or effect; as, oil has an aptitude to burn.

He seems to have had a peculiar aptitude for the management of irregular troops.
Macaulay.

2. A general fitness or suitableness; adaptation.

That sociable and helpful aptitude which God implanted between man and woman.
Milton.

3. Readiness in learning; docility; aptness.

He was a boy of remarkable aptitude .
Macaulay.

Aptitudinal Apt`i·tu"di·nal adjective Suitable; fit. [ Obsolete]

Aptly Apt"ly adverb In an apt or suitable manner; fitly; properly; pertinently; appropriately; readily.

Aptness Apt"ness noun 1. Fitness; suitableness; appropriateness; as, the aptness of things to their end.

The aptness of his quotations.
J. R. Green.

2. Disposition of the mind; propensity; as, the aptness of men to follow example.

3. Quickness of apprehension; readiness in learning; docility; as, an aptness to learn is more observable in some children than in others.

4. Proneness; tendency; as, the aptness of iron to rust.

Aptote Ap"tote (ăp"tōt) noun [ Latin aptotum , Greek ... indeclinable; 'a priv. + ... fallen, declined, ... to fall.] (Gram.) A noun which has no distinction of cases; an indeclinable noun.

Aptotic Ap·tot"ic adjective Pertaining to, or characterized by, aptotes; uninflected; as, aptotic languages.

Aptychus Ap"ty·chus noun [ New Latin , from Greek 'a priv. + ..., ..., fold.] (Zoology) A shelly plate found in the terminal chambers of ammonite shells. Some authors consider them to be jaws; others, opercula.

Apus A"pus noun [ New Latin , from Greek .... See Apode , noun ] (Zoology) A genus of fresh-water phyllopod crustaceans. See Phyllopod .

Apyretic Ap`y·ret"ic adjective [ Prefix a... not + pyretic .] (Medicine) Without fever; -- applied to days when there is an intermission of fever. Dunglison.

Apyrexia, Apyrexy Ap`y·rex"i·a, Ap`y·rex`y noun [ New Latin apyrexia , from Greek ...; 'a priv. + ... to be feverish, from ... fire: confer French apyrexie .] (Medicine) The absence or intermission of fever.

Apyrexial Ap`y·rex"i·al adjective (Medicine) Relating to apyrexy. " Apyrexial period." Brande & C.

Apyrous Ap"y·rous adjective [ Greek ...; 'a priv. + ... fire.] Incombustible; capable of sustaining a strong heat without alteration of form or properties.

Aqua A"qua noun [ Latin See Ewer .] Water; -- a word much used in pharmacy and the old chemistry, in various signification, determined by the word or words annexed.

Aqua ammoniæ , the aqueous solution of ammonia; liquid ammonia; often called aqua ammonia . -- Aqua marine or Aqua marina Same as Aquamarine . -- Aqua regia [ Latin , royal water] (Chemistry) , a very corrosive fuming yellow liquid consisting of nitric and hydrochloric acids. It has the power of dissolving gold, the "royal" metal. -- Aqua Tofana a fluid containing arsenic, and used for secret poisoning, made by an Italian woman named Tofana , in the middle of the 17th century, who is said to have poisoned more than 600 persons. Francis . -- Aqua vitæ [ Latin , water of life. Confer Eau de vie , Usquebaugh ], a name given to brandy and some other ardent spirits. Shak.

Aqua fortis A`qua for"tis [ Latin , strong water.] (Chemistry) Nitric acid. [ Archaic]

Aquamarine A`qua·ma·rine" noun (Min.) A transparent, pale green variety of beryl, used as a gem. See Beryl .

Aquapuncture A`qua·punc"ture noun [ Latin aqua water, + punctura puncture, pungere , punctum , to, prick.] (Medicine) The introduction of water subcutaneously for the relief of pain.

Aquarelle Aq`ua·relle" noun [ French, from Ital acquerello , from acqua water, Latin aqua .] A design or painting in thin transparent water colors; also, the mode of painting in such colors.

Aquarellist Aq`ua·rel"list noun A painter in thin transparent water colors.

Aquarial, Aquarian A·qua"ri·al, A·qua"ri·an adjective Of or pertaining to an aquarium.

Aquarian A·qua"ri·an noun [ Latin (assumed) Aquarianus , from aqua : confer French Aquarien . See Aqua .] (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Christian in the primitive church who used water instead of wine in the Lord's Supper.

Aquarium A·qua"ri·um noun ; plural English Aquariums Latin Aquaria [ Latin See Aquarius , Ewer .] An artificial pond, or a globe or tank (usually with glass sides), in which living specimens of aquatic animals or plants are kept.

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