Amphictyons Am·phic"ty·ons noun plural [ Latin
Amphictyones , Greek .... Prob. the word was orig. ... dwellers around, neighbors.]
(Grecian Hist.) Deputies from the confederated states of ancient Greece to a congress or council. They considered both political and religious matters.
Amphictyony Am·phic"ty·o·ny noun ;
plural Amphictyonies [ Greek ....]
(Grecian Hist.) A league of states of ancient Greece; esp. the celebrated confederation known as the Amphictyonic Council. Its object was to maintain the common interests of Greece.
Amphid Am"phid noun [ Greek
'a`mfw both: confer French
amphide .]
(Chemistry) A salt of the class formed by the combination of an acid and a base, or by the union of two oxides, two sulphides, selenides, or tellurides, as distinguished from a haloid compound. [ R.]
Berzelius.
Amphidisc Am"phi·disc noun [ Greek
'amfi` +
di`skos a round plate.]
(Zoology) A peculiar small siliceous spicule having a denticulated wheel at each end; -- found in freshwater sponges.
Amphidromical Am`phi·drom"ic·al adjective [ Greek
'amfi`dromos running about or around.]
Pertaining to an Attic festival at the naming of a child; -- so called because the friends of the parents carried the child around the hearth and then named it.
Amphigamous Am·phig"a·mous adjective [ Greek ... + ... marriage.]
(Botany) Having a structure entirely cellular, and no distinct sexual organs; -- a term applied by De Candolle to the lowest order of plants.
Amphigean Am`phi·ge"an adjective [ Greek ... + ..., ..., the earth.]
Extending over all the zones, from the tropics to the polar zones inclusive.
Amphigen Am"phi·gen noun [ Greek ... +
-gen : confer French
amphigène .]
(Chemistry) An element that in combination produces amphid salt; -- applied by Berzelius to oxygen, sulphur, selenium, and tellurium. [ R.]
Amphigene Am"phi·gene noun (Min.) Leucite.
Amphigenesis Am`phi·gen"e·sis noun [ Greek ... + ... generation.]
(Biol.) Sexual generation; amphigony.
Amphigenous Am·phig"e·nous adjective (Botany) Increasing in size by growth on all sides, as the lichens.
Amphigonic Am`phi·gon"ic adjective Pertaining to amphigony; sexual; as, amphigonic propagation. [ R.]
Amphigonous Am·phig"o·nous adjective [ Greek ... + ... a begetting.]
Relating to both parents. [ R.]
Amphigony Am·phig"o·ny noun Sexual propagation. [ R.]
Amphigoric Am`phi·gor"ic adjective [ See
Amphigory .]
Nonsensical; absurd; pertaining to an amphigory.
Amphigory Am"phi·go·ry noun [ French
amphigouri , of uncertain derivation; perhaps from Greek ... + ... a circle.]
A nonsense verse; a rigmarole, with apparent meaning, which on further attention proves to be meaningless. [ Written also
amphigouri .]
Amphilogism, Amphilogy Am·phil"o·gism, Am·phil"o·gy noun [ Greek ... +
-logy .]
Ambiguity of speech; equivocation. [ R.]
Amphimacer Am·phim"a·cer noun [ Latin
amphimacru... , Greek ...; ... on both sides + ... long.]
(Anc. Pros.) A foot of three syllables, the middle one short and the others long, as in cāst...tās . Andrews.
Amphineura Am`phi·neu"ra noun plural [ New Latin , from ... + ... sinew, nerve.]
(Zoology) A division of Mollusca remarkable for the bilateral symmetry of the organs and the arrangement of the nerves.
Amphioxus Am`phi·ox"us noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... + ... sharp.]
(Zoology) A fishlike creature ( Amphioxus lanceolatus ), two or three inches long, found in temperature seas; -- also called the lancelet . Its body is pointed at both ends. It is the lowest and most generalized of the vertebrates, having neither brain, skull, vertebræ, nor red blood. It forms the type of the group Acrania , Leptocardia , etc.
Amphipneust Am·phip"neust noun [ Greek ... + ... one who breathes, ... to breathe.]
(Zoology) One of a tribe of Amphibia, which have both lungs and gills at the same time, as the proteus and siren.
Amphipod Am"phi·pod noun (Zoology) One of the Amphipoda.
Amphipod, Amphipodan Am"phi·pod, Am·phip"o·dan adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Amphipoda.
Amphipoda Am·phip"o·da noun plural [ New Latin , FR. Greek ... + ..., ... foot.]
(Zoology) A numerous group of fourteen -- footed Crustacea, inhabiting both fresh and salt water. The body is usually compressed laterally, and the anterior pairs or legs are directed downward and forward, but the posterior legs are usually turned upward and backward. The beach flea is an example. See Tetradecapoda and Arthrostraca .
Amphipodous Am·phip"o·dous adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Amphipoda.
Amphiprostyle Am·phip"ro·style adjective [ Latin
amphiprostylos , Greek ... having a double prostyle: confer French
amphiprostyle . See
Prostyle .]
(Architecture) Doubly prostyle; having columns at each end, but not at the sides. --
noun An amphiprostyle temple or edifice.
Amphirhina Am`phi·rhi"na noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... + ..., ..., nose.]
(Zoology) A name applied to the elasmobranch fishes, because the nasal sac is double.
Amphisbæna Am`phis·bæ"na noun [ Latin , from Greek ...; ... on both ends + ... to go.]
1. A fabled serpent with a head at each end, moving either way. Milton. 2. (Zoology) A genus of harmless lizards, serpentlike in form, without legs, and with both ends so much alike that they appear to have a head at each, and ability to move either way. See Illustration in Appendix. » The
Gordius aquaticus , or
hairworm , has been called an
amphisbæna ; but it belongs among the worms.
Amphisbænoid Am`phis·bæ"noid adjective [ New Latin , from Latin
amphisbaena +
-oid .]
(Zoology) Like or pertaining to the lizards of the genus Amphisbæna.
Amphiscii, Amphiscians Am·phis"ci·i, Am·phis"cians noun plural [ Greek ... throwing a shadow both ways; ... + ... shadow.]
The inhabitants of the tropic, whose shadows in one part of the year are cast to the north, and in the other to the south, according as the sun is south or north of their zenith.
Amphistomous Am·phis"to·mous adjective [ Greek ... + ... mouth.]
(Zoology) Having a sucker at each extremity, as certain entozoa, by means of which they adhere.
Amphistylic Am`phi·sty"lic adjective [ Greek ... + ... pillar, support.]
(Anat.) Having the mandibular arch articulated with the hyoid arch and the cranium, as in the cestraciont sharks; -- said of a skull.
Amphitheater, Amphitheatre Am`phi·the"a·ter, Am`phi·the"a·tre noun [ Latin
amphitheatrum , from Greek ...; ... + ... theater: confer French
amphithéâtre . See
Theater .]
1. An oval or circular building with rising tiers of seats about an open space called the arena. » The Romans first constructed amphitheaters for combats of gladiators and wild beasts.
2. Anything resembling an amphitheater in form; as, a level surrounded by rising slopes or hills, or a rising gallery in a theater.
Amphitheatral Am`phi·the"a·tral adjective [ Latin
amphitheatralis : confer French
amphithéâtral .]
Amphitheatrical; resembling an amphitheater.
Amphitheatric, Amphitheatrical Am`phi·the·at"ric, Am`phi·the·at"ric·al adjective [ Latin
amphitheatricus .]
Of, pertaining to, exhibited in, or resembling, an amphitheater.
Amphitheatrically Am`phi·the·at"ric·al·ly adverb In the form or manner of an amphitheater.
Amphitrocha Am·phit"ro·cha (ăm*fĭt"rokȧ)
noun [ New Latin , from Greek
'amfi` +
trocho`s a wheel.]
(Zoology) A kind of annelid larva having both a dorsal and a ventral circle of special cilia.
Amphitropal Am·phit"ro·pal (-p
a l),
Am*phit"ro*pous (- pŭs)
adjective [ Greek
'amfi` +
tre`pein to turn.]
(Botany) Having the ovule inverted, but with the attachment near the middle of one side; half anatropous.
Amphiuma Am`phi·u"ma (ăm`fĭ*ū"mȧ)
noun (Zoology) A genus of amphibians, inhabiting the Southern United States, having a serpentlike form, but with four minute limbs and two persistent gill openings; the Congo snake.
Amphopeptone Am`pho·pep"tone noun [ Greek ... + English
peptone .]
(Physiol.) A product of gastric digestion, a mixture of hemipeptone and antipeptone.
Amphora Am"pho·ra noun ;
plural Amophoræ [ Latin , from Greek ..., ..., a jar with two handles; ... + ... bearer, ... to bear. Confer
Ampul .]
Among the ancients, a two-handled vessel, tapering at the bottom, used for holding wine, oil, etc.
Amphoral Am"pho·ral adjective [ Latin
amphoralis .]
Pertaining to, or resembling, an amphora.
Amphoric Am·phor"ic adjective (Medicine) Produced by, or indicating, a cavity in the lungs, not filled, and giving a sound like that produced by blowing into an empty decanter; as, amphoric respiration or resonance.
Amphoteric Am`pho·ter"ic adjective [ Greek ... both.]
Partly one and partly the other; neither acid nor alkaline; neutral. [ R.]
Smart.
Ample Am"ple adjective [ French
ample , Latin
amplus , probably for
ambiplus full on both sides, the last syllable akin to Latin
plenus full. See
Full , and confer
Double .]
Large; great in size, extent, capacity, or bulk; spacious; roomy; widely extended. All the people in that ample house
Did to that image bow their humble knees.
Spenser.
2. Fully sufficient; abundant; liberal; copious; as, an ample fortune; ample justice. 3. Not contracted of brief; not concise; extended; diffusive; as, an ample narrative. Johnson. Syn. -- Full; spacious; extensive; wide; capacious; abundant; plentiful; plenteous; copious; bountiful; rich; liberal; munificent. --
Ample ,
Copious ,
Abundant ,
Plenteous . These words agree in representing a thing as
large , but under different relations, according to the image which is used.
Ample implies largeness, producing a sufficiency or fullness of supply for every want; as,
ample stores or resources,
ample provision.
Copious carries with it the idea of flow, or of collection at a single point; as, a
copious supply of materials. "
Copious matter of my song."
Milton. Abundant and
plenteous refer to largeness of quantity; as,
abundant stores;
plenteous harvests.
Amplectant Am·plec"tant adjective [ Latin
amplecti to embrace.]
(Botany) Clasping a support; as, amplectant tendrils. Gray.
Ampleness Am"ple·ness noun The state or quality of being ample; largeness; fullness; completeness.
Amplexation Am`plex·a"tion noun [ Latin
amplexari to embrace.]
An embrace. [ Obsolete]
An humble amplexation of those sacred feet.
Bp. Hall.
Amplexicaul Am·plex"i·caul adjective [ Latin
amplexus , past participle of
amplecti to encircle, to embrace +
caulis stem: confer French
amplexicaule .]
(Botany) Clasping or embracing a stem, as the base of some leaves. Gray.
Ampliate Am"pli·ate transitive verb [ Latin
ampliatus , past participle of
ampliare to make wider, from
amplus . See
Ample .]
To enlarge. [ R.]
To maintain and ampliate the external possessions of your empire.
Udall.
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