Art Art (ärt). The second person singular, indicative mode, present tense, of the substantive verb Be ; but formed after the analogy of the plural are , with the ending - t , as in thou shal t , wil t , orig. an ending of the second person sing. pret. Confer Be . Now used only in solemn or poetical style.

Art Art (ärt) noun [ French art , Latin ars , artis , orig., skill in joining or fitting; probably akin to English arm , aristocrat , article .] 1. The employment of means to accomplish some desired end; the adaptation of things in the natural world to the uses of life; the application of knowledge or power to practical purposes.

Blest with each grace of nature and of art .
Pope.

2. A system of rules serving to facilitate the performance of certain actions; a system of principles and rules for attaining a desired end; method of doing well some special work; -- often contradistinguished from science or speculative principles; as, the art of building or engraving; the art of war; the art of navigation.

Science is systematized knowledge . . . Art is knowledge made efficient by skill.
J. F. Genung.

3. The systematic application of knowledge or skill in effecting a desired result. Also, an occupation or business requiring such knowledge or skill.

The fishermen can't employ their art with so much success in so troubled a sea.
Addison.

4. The application of skill to the production of the beautiful by imitation or design, or an occupation in which skill is so employed, as in painting and sculpture; one of the fine arts; as, he prefers art to literature.

5. plural Those branches of learning which are taught in the academical course of colleges; as, master of arts .

In fearless youth we tempt the heights of arts .
Pope.

Four years spent in the arts (as they are called in colleges) is, perhaps, laying too laborious a foundation.
Goldsmith.

6. Learning; study; applied knowledge, science, or letters. [ Archaic]

So vast is art , so narrow human wit.
Pope.

7. Skill, dexterity, or the power of performing certain actions, acquired by experience, study, or observation; knack; as, a man has the art of managing his business to advantage.

8. Skillful plan; device.

They employed every art to soothe . . . the discontented warriors.
Macaulay.

9. Cunning; artifice; craft.

Madam, I swear I use no art at all.
Shak.

Animals practice art when opposed to their superiors in strength.
Crabb.

10. The black art; magic. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Art and part (Scots Law) , share or concern by aiding and abetting a criminal in the perpetration of a crime, whether by advice or by assistance in the execution; complicity.

» The arts are divided into various classes. The useful, mechanical, or industrial arts are those in which the hands and body are more concerned than the mind; as in making clothes and utensils. These are called trades . The fine arts are those which have primarily to do with imagination and taste, and are applied to the production of what is beautiful. They include poetry, music, painting, engraving, sculpture, and architecture; but the term is often confined to painting, sculpture, and architecture. The liberal arts ( artes liberales , the higher arts, which, among the Romans, only freemen were permitted to pursue) were, in the Middle Ages, these seven branches of learning, -- grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. In modern times the liberal arts include the sciences, philosophy, history, etc., which compose the course of academical or collegiate education. Hence, degrees in the arts ; master and bachelor of arts .

In America, literature and the elegant arts must grow up side by side with the coarser plants of daily necessity.
Irving.

Syn. -- Science; literature; aptitude; readiness; skill; dexterity; adroitness; contrivance; profession; business; trade; calling; cunning; artifice; duplicity. See Science .

Art union Art` un"ion An association for promoting art (esp. the arts of design), and giving encouragement to artists.

Artemia Ar·te"mi·a (är*tĕ"mĭ*ȧ) noun [ New Latin , from Greek 'A`rtemis , a Greek goddess.] (Zoology) A genus of phyllopod Crustacea found in salt lakes and brines; the brine shrimp. See Brine shrimp .

Artemisia Ar`te·mi"si·a (ärte"mĭzh"ĭ*ȧ or ärte"mĭsh"ĭ*ȧ) noun [ Latin Artemisia , Greek 'Artemisi`a .] (Botany) A genus of plants including the plants called mugwort, southernwood, and wormwood. Of these A. absinthium , or common wormwood, is well known, and A. tridentata is the sage brush of the Rocky Mountain region.

Arteriac Ar·te"ri·ac adjective [ Latin arteriacus , Greek .... See Artery .] Of or pertaining to the windpipe.

Arterial Ar·te"ri·al adjective [ Confer French artériel .] 1. Of or pertaining to an artery, or the arteries; as, arterial action; the arterial system.

2. Of or pertaining to a main channel (resembling an artery), as a river, canal, or railroad.

Arterial blood , blood which has been changed and vitalized (arterialized) during passage through the lungs.

Arterialization Ar·te`ri·al·i·za"tion noun (Physiol.) The process of converting venous blood into arterial blood during its passage through the lungs, oxygen being absorbed and carbonic acid evolved; -- called also aëration and hematosis .

Arterialize Ar·te"ri·al·ize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Arterialized ; present participle & verbal noun Arterializing .] To transform, as the venous blood, into arterial blood by exposure to oxygen in the lungs; to make arterial.

Arteriography Ar·te`ri·og"ra·phy noun [ Greek ... + - graphy .] A systematic description of the arteries.

Arteriole Ar·te"ri·ole noun [ New Latin arteriola , dim. of Latin arteria : confer French artériole .] A small artery.

Arteriology Ar·te`ri·ol"o·gy noun [ Greek ... + - logy .] That part of anatomy which treats of arteries.

Arteriosclerosis Ar·te`ri·o·scle·ro"sis (är*tē`rĭ*o*skle*rō"sĭs) noun [ Greek 'arthri`a artery + sclerosis .] (Medicine) Abnormal thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries, esp. of the intima, occurring mostly in old age. -- Ar*te`ri*o*scle*rot"ic adjective

Arteriotomy Ar·te`ri·ot"o·my noun [ Latin arteriotomia , Greek ...; ... + ... a cutting.] 1. (Medicine) The opening of an artery, esp. for bloodletting.

2. That part of anatomy which treats of the dissection of the arteries.

Arteritis Ar`te·ri"tis noun [ Artery + -etis .] Inflammation of an artery or arteries. Dunglison.

Artery Ar"ter·y noun ; plural Arteries [ Latin arteria windpipe, artery, Greek ....] 1. The trachea or windpipe. [ Obsolete] "Under the artery , or windpipe, is the mouth of the stomach." Holland.

2. (Anat.) One of the vessels or tubes which carry either venous or arterial blood from the heart. They have tricker and more muscular walls than veins, and are connected with them by capillaries.

» In man and other mammals, the arteries which contain arterialized blood receive it from the left ventricle of the heart through the aorta. See Aorta . The pulmonary artery conveys the venous blood from the right ventricle to the lungs, whence the arterialized blood is returned through the pulmonary veins.

3. Hence: Any continuous or ramified channel of communication; as, arteries of trade or commerce.

Artesian Ar·te"sian adjective [ French artésien , from Artois in France, where many such wells have been made since the middle of the last century.] Of or pertaining to Artois (anciently called Artesium ), in France.

Artesian wells , wells made by boring into the earth till the instrument reaches water, which, from internal pressure, flows spontaneously like a fountain. They are usually of small diameter and often of great depth.

Artful Art"ful adjective [ From Art .] 1. Performed with, or characterized by, art or skill. [ Archaic] " Artful strains." " Artful terms." Milton.

2. Artificial; imitative. Addison.

3. Using or exhibiting much art, skill, or contrivance; dexterous; skillful.

He [ was] too artful a writer to set down events in exact historical order.
Dryden.

4. Cunning; disposed to cunning indirectness of dealing; crafty; as, an artful boy. [ The usual sense.]

Artful in speech, in action, and in mind.
Pope.

The artful revenge of various animals.
Darwin.

Syn. -- Cunning; skillful; adroit; dexterous; crafty; tricky; deceitful; designing. See Cunning .

Artfully Art"ful·ly adverb In an artful manner; with art or cunning; skillfully; dexterously; craftily.

Artfulness Art"ful·ness noun The quality of being artful; art; cunning; craft.

Arthen Ar"then adjective Same as Earthen . [ Obsolete] "An arthen pot." Holland.

Arthritic, Arthritical Ar·thrit"ic, Ar·thrit"ic·al adjective [ Latin arthriticus , Greek 'arqritiko`s . See Arthritis .] 1. Pertaining to the joints. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.

2. Of or pertaining to arthritis; gouty. Cowper.

Arthritis Ar·thri"tis (är*thrī"tĭs) noun [ Latin , from Greek 'arqri^tis (as if fem. of 'arqri`tis belonging to the joints, sc. no`sos disease) gout, from 'a`rqron a joint.] (Medicine) Any inflammation of the joints, particularly the gout.

Arthrochondritis Ar`thro·chon·dri"tis noun [ New Latin ] (Medicine) Chondritis of a joint.

Arthroderm Ar"thro·derm noun [ Greek 'a`rqron joint + 'derm .] (Zoology) The external covering of an Arthropod.

Arthrodesis Ar·throd"e·sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... joint + ... a binding together.] (Surg.) Surgical fixation of joints.

Arthrodia Ar·thro"di·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., from ... well articulated; 'a`rqron a joint + ... shape.] (Anat.) A form of diarthrodial articulation in which the articular surfaces are nearly flat, so that they form only an imperfect ball and socket.

Arthrodial, Arthrodic Ar·thro"di·al, Ar·throd"ic adjective Of or pertaining to arthrodia.

Arthrodynia Ar`thro·dyn"i·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek 'a`rqron joint + 'ody`nh pain.] (Medicine) An affection characterized by pain in or about a joint, not dependent upon structural disease.

Arthrodynic Ar`thro·dyn"ic adjective Pertaining to arthrodynia, or pain in the joints; rheumatic.

Arthrogastra Ar`thro·gas"tra noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek 'a`rqron joint + ... stomach.] (Zoology) A division of the Arachnida, having the abdomen annulated, including the scorpions, harvestmen, etc.; pedipalpi.

Arthrography Ar·throg"ra·phy noun [ Greek 'a`rqron joint + -graphy .] The description of joints.

Arthrology Ar·throl"o·gy noun [ Greek 'a`rqron joint + -logy .] That part of anatomy which treats of joints.

Arthromere Ar"thro·mere noun [ Greek 'a`rqron joint + -mere .] (Zoology) One of the body segments of Arthropods. See Arthrostraca . Packard.

Arthropathy Ar·throp"a·thy noun [ Greek ... joint + ..., ..., to suffer.] (Medicine) Any disease of the joints.

Arthropleura Ar`thro·pleu"ra noun [ New Latin , from Greek 'a`rqron joint + ... the side.] (Zoology) The side or limb-bearing portion of an arthromere.

Arthropod Ar"thro·pod noun (Zoology) One of the Arthropoda.

Arthropoda Ar·throp"o·da noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek 'a`rqron joint + -poda .] (Zoology) A large division of Articulata, embracing all those that have jointed legs. It includes Insects, Arachnida, Pychnogonida, and Crustacea. -- Ar*throp"o*dal adjective

Arthropomata Ar`thro·pom"a·ta noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek 'a`rqron joint + ... lid.] (Zoology) One of the orders of Branchiopoda. See Branchiopoda .

Arthrosis Ar·thro"sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., from 'a`rqron joint.] (Anat.) Articulation.

Arthrospore Ar"thro·spore noun [ Greek ... joint + English spore .] (Bacteriol.) A bacterial resting cell, - - formerly considered a spore, but now known to occur even in endosporous bacteria. -- Ar`thro*spor"ic , Ar*thros"po*rous adjective

Arthrostraca Ar·thros"tra·ca noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek 'a`rqron joint + ... a shell.] (Zoology) One of the larger divisions of Crustacea, so called because the thorax and abdomen are both segmented; Tetradecapoda. It includes the Amphipoda and Isopoda.

Arthrotome Ar"thro·tome noun [ Greek ... joint + ... to cut.] (Surg.) A strong scalpel used in the dissection of joints.

Arthrozoic Ar`thro·zo"ic adjective [ Greek 'a`rqron joint + ... animal, from ... an animal.] (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Articulata; articulate.

Arthurian Ar·thu"ri·an adjective Of or pertaining to King Arthur or his knights. J. R. Symonds.

In magnitude, in interest, and as a literary origin, the Arthurian invention dwarfs all other things in the book.

Saintsbury.

Artiad Ar"ti·ad adjective [ Greek ... even, from ... exactly.] (Chemistry) Even; not odd; -- said of elementary substances and of radicals the valence of which is divisible by two without a remainder.

Artichoke Ar"ti·choke noun [ Italian articiocco , perhaps corrupted from the same word as carciofo ; confer older spellings archiciocco , archicioffo , carciocco , and Spanish alcachofa , Portuguese alcachofra ; probably from Arabic al-harshaf , al-kharshūf .] (Botany) 1. The Cynara scolymus , a plant somewhat resembling a thistle, with a dilated, imbricated, and prickly involucre. The head (to which the name is also applied) is composed of numerous oval scales, inclosing the florets, sitting on a broad receptacle, which, with the fleshy base of the scales, is much esteemed as an article of food.

2. See Jerusalem artichoke .

Article Ar"ti·cle noun [ French, from Latin articulus , dim. of artus joint, akin to Greek ..., from a root ar to join, fit. See Art , noun ] 1. 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.

2. A literary composition, forming an independent portion of a magazine, newspaper, or cyclopedia.

3. Subject; matter; concern; distinct. [ Obsolete]

A very great revolution that happened in this article of good breeding.
Addison.

This last article will hardly be believed.
De Foe.

4. A distinct part. "Upon each article of human duty." Paley. "Each article of time." Habington.

The articles which compose the blood.
E. Darwin.

5. A particular one of various things; as, an article of merchandise; salt is a necessary article .

They would fight not for articles of faith, but for articles of food.
Landor.

6. Precise point of time; moment. [ Obsolete or Archaic]

This fatal news coming to Hick's Hall upon the article of my Lord Russell's trial, was said to have had no little influence on the jury and all the bench to his prejudice.
Evelyn.

7. (Gram.) 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.

8. (Zoology) One of the segments of an articulated appendage.

Articles of Confederation , the compact which was first made by the original thirteen States of the United States. They were adopted March 1, 1781, and remained the supreme law until March, 1789. -- Articles of impeachment , an instrument which, in cases of impeachment, performs the same office which an indictment does in a common criminal case. -- Articles of war , rules and regulations, fixed by law, for the better government of the army. -- In the article of death [ Latin in articulo mortis ], at the moment of death; in the dying struggle. -- Lords of the articles (Scot. Hist.) , a standing committee of the Scottish Parliament to whom was intrusted the drafting and preparation of the acts, or bills for laws. -- The Thirty-nine Articles , statements (thirty-nine in number) of the tenets held by the Church of England.

Article Ar"ti·cle transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Articled ; present participle & verbal noun Articling ] [ Confer French articuler , from Latin articulare . See Article , noun , Articulate .] 1. To formulate in articles; to set forth in distinct particulars.

If all his errors and follies were articled against him, the man would seem vicious and miserable.
Jer. Taylor.

2. To accuse or charge by an exhibition of articles.

He shall be articled against in the high court of admiralty.
Stat. 33 Geo. III.

3. To bind by articles of covenant or stipulation; as, to article an apprentice to a mechanic.

Article Ar"ti·cle intransitive verb To agree by articles; to stipulate; to bargain; to covenant. [ R.]

Then he articled with her that he should go away when he pleased.
Selden.

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