Altimetry Al·tim"e·try noun [ Confer French altimétrie .] The art of measuring altitudes, or heights.

Altincar Al·tin"car noun See Tincal .

Altiscope Al"ti·scope noun [ Latin altus high + Greek ... to view.] An arrangement of lenses and mirrors which enables a person to see an object in spite of intervening objects.

Altisonant Al·tis"o·nant (ăl*tĭs"o*n a nt) adjective [ Latin altus high + sonans , present participle of sonare to sound.] High-sounding; lofty or pompous. Skelton.

Altisonous Al·tis"o·nous (-nŭs) adjective [ Latin altisonus .] Altisonant.

Altissimo Al·tis"si·mo noun [ Italian ; superl. of alto .] (Mus.) The part or notes situated above F in alt.

Altitude Al"ti·tude noun [ Latin altitudo , from altus high. Confer Altar , Haughty , Enhance .] 1. Space extended upward; height; the perpendicular elevation of an object above its foundation, above the ground, or above a given level, or of one object above another; as, the altitude of a mountain, or of a bird above the top of a tree.

2. (Astron.) The elevation of a point, or star, or other celestial object, above the horizon, measured by the arc of a vertical circle intercepted between such point and the horizon. It is either true or apparent ; true when measured from the rational or real horizon , apparent when from the sensible or apparent horizon.

3. (Geom.) The perpendicular distance from the base of a figure to the summit, or to the side parallel to the base; as, the altitude of a triangle, pyramid, parallelogram, frustum, etc.

4. Height of degree; highest point or degree.

He is [ proud] even to the altitude of his virtue.
Shak.

5. Height of rank or excellence; superiority. Swift.

6. plural Elevation of spirits; heroics; haughty airs. [ Colloq.] Richardson.

The man of law began to get into his altitude .
Sir W. Scott.

Meridian altitude , an arc of the meridian intercepted between the south point on the horizon and any point on the meridian. See Meridian , 3.

Altitudinal Al`ti·tu"di·nal adjective Of or pertaining to height; as, altitudinal measurements.

Altitudinarian Al`ti·tu`di·na"ri·an adjective Lofty in doctrine, aims, etc. [ R.] Coleridge.

Altivolant Al·tiv"o·lant adjective [ Latin altivolans . See Volant .] Flying high. [ Obsolete] Blount.

Alto Al"to noun ; plural Altos [ Italian alto high, from Latin altus . Confer Alt .] 1. (Mus.) Formerly the part sung by the highest male, or counter-tenor, voices; now the part sung by the lowest female, or contralto, voices, between in tenor and soprano. In instrumental music it now signifies the tenor.

2. An alto singer.

Alto clef (Mus.) the counter-tenor clef, or the C clef, placed so that the two strokes include the middle line of the staff. Moore.

Alto-cumulus Al`to-cu"mu·lus noun [ Latin altus high + Latin & English cumulus .] (Meteor.) A fleecy cloud formation consisting of large whitish or grayish globular cloudlets with shaded portions, often grouped in flocks or rows.

Alto-relievo Al"to-re·lie"vo noun Alto- rilievo.

Alto-rilievo Al"to-ri·lie·vo noun ; plural Alto-rilievos [ Italian ] (Sculp.) High relief; sculptured work in which the figures project more than half their thickness; as, this figure is an alto-rilievo or in alto- rilievo .

» When the figure stands only half out, it is called mezzo- rilievo , demi-rilievo , or medium relief; when its projection is less than one half, basso-rilievo , bas-relief , or low relief.

Alto-stratus Al`to-stra"tus noun [ Latin altus high + Latin & English stratus .] (Meteor.) A cloud formation similar to cirro-stratus, but heavier and at a lower level.

Altogether Al`to·geth"er adverb [ Middle English altogedere ; al all + togedere together. See Together .] 1. All together; conjointly. [ Obsolete]

Altogether they went at once.
Chaucer.

2. Without exception; wholly; completely.

Every man at his best state is altogether vanity.
Ps. xxxix. 5.

Altometer Al·tom"e·ter noun [ Latin altus high + -meter .] A theodolite. Knight.

Altrical Al"tri·cal adjective (Zoology) Like the articles.

Altrices Al·tri"ces noun plural [ Latin , nourishes, plural of altrix .] (Zoology) Nursers, -- a term applied to those birds whose young are hatched in a very immature and helpless condition, so as to require the care of their parents for some time; -- opposed to præcoces .

Altruism Al"tru·ism noun [ French altruisme (a word of Comte's), Italian altrui of or to others, from Latin alter another.] Regard for others, both natural and moral; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; -- opposed to egoism or selfishness . [ Recent] J. S. Mill.

Altruist Al"tru·ist noun One imbued with altruism; -- opposed to egoist .

Altruistic Al`tru·is"tic adjective [ Confer French altruiste , adjective See Altruism ..] Regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish; -- opposed to egoistic or selfish . Bain. -- Al`tru*is"tic*al*ly , adverb

Aludel Al"u·del noun [ French & Spanish aludel , from Arabic aluthāl .] (Chemistry) One of the pear-shaped pots open at both ends, and so formed as to be fitted together, the neck of one into the bottom of another in succession; -- used in the process of sublimation. Ure.

Alula Al"u·la noun [ New Latin , dim. of Latin ala a wing.] (Zoology) A false or bastard wing. See under Bastard .

Alular Al"u·lar adjective (Zoology) Pertaining to the alula.

Alum Al"um noun [ Middle English alum , alom , Old French alum , French alun , from Latin alumen alum.] (Chemistry) A double sulphate formed of aluminium and some other element (esp. an alkali metal) or of aluminium. It has twenty-four molecules of water of crystallization.

» Common alum is the double sulphate of aluminium and potassium. It is white, transparent, very astringent, and crystallizes easily in octahedrons. The term is extended so as to include other double sulphates similar to alum in formula.

Alum Al"um transitive verb To steep in, or otherwise impregnate with, a solution of alum; to treat with alum. Ure.

Alum root Al"um root` (Botany) A North American herb ( Heuchera Americana ) of the Saxifrage family, whose root has astringent properties.

Alum schist, Alum shale Al"um schist", Al"um shale" (Min.) A variety of shale or clay slate, containing iron pyrites, the decomposition of which leads to the formation of alum, which often effloresces on the rock.

Alum stone Al"um stone` (Min.) A subsulphate of alumina and potash; alunite.

Alumen A·lu"men noun [ Latin ] (Chemistry) Alum.

Alumina A·lu"mi·na noun [ Latin alumen , aluminis . See Alum .] (Chemistry) One of the earths, consisting of two parts of aluminium and three of oxygen, Al ₂ O ₃ .

» It is the oxide of the metal aluminium, the base of aluminous salts, a constituent of a large part of the earthy siliceous minerals, as the feldspars, micas, scapolites, etc., and the characterizing ingredient of common clay, in which it exists as an impure silicate with water, resulting from the decomposition of other aluminous minerals. In its natural state, it is the mineral corundum.

Aluminate A·lu`mi·nate noun (Chemistry) A compound formed from the hydrate of aluminium by the substitution of a metal for the hydrogen.

Aluminated A·lu"mi·na`ted adjective Combined with alumina.

Alumine Al"u·mine (ăl"u*mĭn) noun [ French] Alumina. Davy.

Aluminic Al`u·min"ic (ăl`u*mĭn"ĭl) adjective Of or containing aluminium; as, aluminic phosphate.

Aluminiferous A·lu`mi·nif"er·ous adjective [ Latin alumen alum + -ferous : confer French aluminifère .] Containing alum.

Aluminiform A·lu"mi·ni·form adjective [ Latin alumen + -form .] Having the form of alumina.

Aluminium Al`u·min"i·um (ăl`u*mĭn"ĭ*ŭm) noun [ Latin alumen . See Alum .] (Chemistry) The metallic base of alumina. This metal is white, but with a bluish tinge, and is remarkable for its resistance to oxidation, and for its lightness, having a specific gravity of about 2.6. Atomic weight 27.08. Symbol Al.

Aluminium bronze or gold , a pale gold-colored alloy of aluminium and copper, used for journal bearings, etc.

Aluminize A·lu"mi·nize (ȧ*lū*mĭ*nīz) transitive verb To treat or impregnate with alum; to alum.

Aluminography A·lu`mi·nog"ra·phy noun [ Alumin -ium + -graphy .] Art or process of producing, and printing from, aluminium plates, after the manner of ordinary lithography. -- A*lu`mi*no*graph"ic adjective

Aluminous A·lu"mi·nous (ȧ*lū*mĭ*nŭs) adjective [ Latin aluminosus , from alumen alum: confer French alumineux .] Pertaining to or containing alum, or alumina; as, aluminous minerals, aluminous solution.

Aluminum A·lu"mi·num (ȧ*lū*mĭ*nŭm) noun See Aluminium .

Alumish Al"um·ish adjective Somewhat like alum.

Alumna A·lum"na noun fem. ; plural Alumnæ . [ Latin See Alumnus .] A female pupil; especially, a graduate of a school or college.

Alumnus A·lum"nus noun ; plural Alumni [ Latin , from alere to nourish.] A pupil; especially, a graduate of a college or other seminary of learning.

Alunite Al"u·nite noun (Min.) Alum stone.

Alunogen A·lu"no·gen noun [ French alun alum + -gen .] (Min.) A white fibrous mineral frequently found on the walls of mines and quarries, chiefly hydrous sulphate of alumina; -- also called feather alum , and hair salt .

Alure Al"ure noun [ Old French alure , aleure , walk, gait, from aler (F. aller ) to go.] A walk or passage; -- applied to passages of various kinds.

The sides of every street were covered with fresh alures of marble.
T. Warton.

Alutaceous Al"u·ta"ceous adjective [ Latin alutacius , from aluta soft leather.] 1. Leathery.

2. Of a pale brown color; leather-yellow. Brande.

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