Alarum noun [ Middle English alarom , the same word as alarm , noun ] See Alarm . [ Now Poetic]

» The variant form alarum is now commonly restricted to an alarm signal or the mechanism to sound an alarm (as in an alarm clock.)

Alary adjective [ Latin alarius , from ala wing.] Of or pertaining to wings; also, wing- shaped.

The alary system of insects.
Wollaston.

Alas interj. [ Middle English alas , allas , Old French alas , French hélas ; a interj. (L. ah .) + las wretched (that I am), Latin lassus weary, akin to English late . See Late .] An exclamation expressive of sorrow, pity, or apprehension of evil; -- in old writers, sometimes followed by day or white ; alas the day , like alack a day , or alas the white .

Alate adverb [ Prefix a- + late .] Lately; of late. [ Archaic]

There hath been alate such tales spread abroad.
Latimer.

Alate, Alated adjective [ Latin alatus , from ala wing.] Winged; having wings, or side appendages like wings.

Alatern Al`a*ter"nus noun [ Latin ala wing + terni three each.] (Botany) An ornamental evergreen shrub ( Rhamnus alaternus ) belonging to the buckthorns.

Alation noun [ French, from Latin alatus winged.] The state of being winged.

Alaunt noun See Alan . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Alb noun [ Middle English albe , Late Latin alba , from Latin albus white. Confer Album and Aube .] A vestment of white linen, reaching to the feet, an enveloping the person; -- in the Roman Catholic church, worn by those in holy orders when officiating at mass. It was formerly worn, at least by clerics, in daily life.

Alb Sunday (Eccl.) The first Sunday after Easter Sunday, properly Albless Sunday , because in the early church those who had been baptized on Easter eve laid aside on the following Saturday their white albs which had been put on after baptism.

Albacore noun (Zoology) See Albicore .

Alban noun [ Latin albus white.] (Chemistry) A white crystalline resinous substance extracted from gutta-percha by the action of alcohol or ether.

Albanian adjective Of or pertaining to Albania, a province of Turkey. -- noun A native of Albania.

Albata noun [ Latin albatus , past participle of albare to make white, from albus white.] A white metallic alloy; which is made into spoons, forks, teapots, etc. British plate or German silver. See German silver , under German .

Albatross noun [ Corrupt. from Portuguese alcatraz cormorant, albatross, or Spanish alcatraz a pelican: confer Portuguese alcatruz , Spanish arcaduz , a bucket, from Arabic al- qādus the bucket, from Greek ka`dos , a water vessel. So an Arabic term for pelican is water-carrier , as a bird carrying water in its pouch.] (Zoology) A web-footed bird, of the genus Diomedea , of which there are several species. They are the largest of sea birds, capable of long-continued flight, and are often seen at great distances from the land. They are found chiefly in the southern hemisphere.

Albe, Albee conj. [ See Albeit .] Although; albeit. [ Obsolete]

Albe Clarissa were their chiefest founderess.
Spenser.

Albedo noun [ Latin , from albus white.] Whiteness. Specifically: (Astron.) The ratio which the light reflected from an unpolished surface bears to the total light falling upon that surface.

Albeit conj. [ Middle English al be although it be, where al is our all . Confer Although .] Even though; although; notwithstanding. Chaucer.

Albeit so masked, Madam, I love the truth.
Tennyson.

Albert ware A soft ornamental terra-cotta pottery, sold in the biscuit state for decorating.

Albertite noun (Min.) A bituminous mineral resembling asphaltum, found in the county of A. ...bert, New Brunswick.

Albertype noun [ From the name of the inventor, Albert , of Munich.] A picture printed from a kind of gelatine plate produced by means of a photographic negative.

Albescence noun The act of becoming white; whitishness.

Albescent adjective [ Latin albescens , present participle of albescere to grow white, from albus white.] Becoming white or whitish; moderately white.

Albicant adjective [ Latin albicans , present participle of albicare , albicatum , to be white, from albus white.] Growing or becoming white.

Albication noun The process of becoming white, or developing white patches, or streaks.

Albicore noun [ French albicore (cf. Spanish albacora , Portuguese albacor , albacora , albecora ), from Arabic bakr , bekr , a young camel, young cow, heifer, and the article al : confer Portuguese bacoro a little pig.] (Zoology) A name applied to several large fishes of the Mackerel family, esp. Orcynus alalonga . One species ( Orcynus thynnus ), common in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, is called in New England the horse mackerel ; the tunny. [ Written also albacore .]

Albification noun [ Confer French albification : Latin albus white + ficare (only in comp.), facere , to make.] The act or process of making white. [ Obsolete]

Albigenses Al`bi`geois" noun plural [ From Albi and Albigeois , a town and its district in the south of France, in which the sect abounded.] (Eccl. Hist.) A sect of reformers opposed to the church of Rome in the 12th centuries.

The Albigenses were a branch of the Catharists (the pure). They were exterminated by crusades and the Inquisition. They were distinct from the Waldenses.

Albigensian adjective Of or pertaining to the Albigenses.

Albiness noun A female albino. Holmes.

Albinism noun The state or condition of being an albino: abinoism; leucopathy.

Albinistic adjective Affected with albinism.

Albino noun ; plural Albinos [ Spanish or Portuguese albino , orig. whitish, from albo white, Latin albus .] A person, whether negro, Indian, or white, in whom by some defect of organization the substance which gives color to the skin, hair, and eyes is deficient or in a morbid state. An albino has a skin of a milky hue, with hair of the same color, and eyes with deep red pupil and pink or blue iris. The term is also used of the lower animals, as white mice, elephants, etc.; and of plants in a whitish condition from the absence of chlorophyll. Amer. Cyc.

» The term was originally applied by the Portuguese to negroes met with on the coast of Africa, who were mottled with white spots.

Albinoism noun The state or condition of being an albino; albinism.

Albinotic adjective Affected with albinism.

Albion noun [ Prob. from the same root as Gael. alp a height or hill. "It may have been bestowed on the land lying behind the white cliffs visible from the coast of Gaul. Albany , the old name of Scotland, means probably the "hilly land." I. Taylor. ] An ancient name of England, still retained in poetry.

In that nook-shotten isle of Albion .
Shak.

Albite noun [ Latin albus white.] (Min.) A mineral of the feldspar family, triclinic in crystallization, and in composition a silicate of alumina and soda. It is a common constituent of granite and of various igneous rocks. See Feldspar .

Albolith noun [ Latin albus white + -lith .] A kind of plastic cement, or artificial stone, consisting chiefly of magnesia and silica; -- called also albolite .

Alborak noun [ Arabic al- burāq , from baraqa to flash, shine.] The imaginary milk-white animal on which Mohammed was said to have been carried up to heaven; a white mule.

Albugineous adjective [ See Albugo .] Of the nature of, or resembling, the white of the eye, or of an egg; albuminous; -- a term applied to textures, humors, etc., which are perfectly white.

Albugo noun ; plural Albugines [ Latin , whiteness, from albus white.] (Medicine) Same as Leucoma .

Album noun [ Latin , neut. of albus white: confer French album . Confer Alb .]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) A white tablet on which anything was inscribed, as a list of names, etc.

2. A register for visitors' names; a visitors' book.

3. A blank book, in which to insert autographs sketches, memorial writing of friends, photographs, etc.

Album Græcum [ Latin , Greek white.] Dung of dogs or hyenas, which becomes white by exposure to air. It is used in dressing leather, and was formerly used in medicine.

Albumen noun [ Latin , from albus white.]
1. The white of an egg.

2. (Botany) 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.

3. (Chemistry) Same as Albumin .

Albumenize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Albumenized ; present participle & verbal noun Albumenizing .] To cover or saturate with albumen; to coat or treat with an albuminous solution; as, to albumenize paper.

Albumin noun (Chemistry) 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.

Acid albumin , a modification of albumin produced by the action of dilute acids. It is not coagulated by heat. -- Alkali albumin , albumin as modified by the action of alkaline substances; -- called also albuminate .

Albuminate noun (Chemistry) A substance produced by the action of an alkali upon albumin, and resembling casein in its properties; also, a compound formed by the union of albumin with another substance.

Albuminiferous adjective [ Latin albumen + -ferous .] Supplying albumen.

Albuminimeter noun [ Latin albumen , albuminis + -meter : confer French albuminimètre .] An instrument for ascertaining the quantity of albumen in a liquid.

Albuminin noun (Chemistry) The substance of the cells which inclose the white of birds' eggs.