Amygdaloid, Amygdaloidal A·myg"da·loid, A·myg`da·loid"al adjective 1. Almond-shaped. 2. Pertaining to, or having the nature of, the rock amygdaloid.

Amyl Am"yl noun [ Latin am ylum starch + -yl . Confer Amidin .] (Chemistry) A hydrocarbon radical, C ₅ H ₁₁ , of the paraffine series found in amyl alcohol or fusel oil, etc.

Amyl alcohol Am"yl al"co·hol (Org. Chem.) Any of eight isomeric liquid compounds, C ₅ H ₁₁ OH; ordinarily, a mixture of two of these forming a colorless liquid with a peculiar cough-exciting odor and burning taste, the chief constituent of fusel oil. It is used as a source of amyl compounds, such as amyl acetate, amyl nitrite, etc.

Amyl nitrite Amyl nitrite A yellowish oily volatile liquid, C ₅ H ₁₁ NO ₂ , used in medicine as a heart stimulant and a vasodilator. The inhalation of its vapor instantly produces flushing of the face.

Amylaceous Am`y·la"ceous adjective [ Latin amylum starch, Greek .... See Amidin .] Pertaining to starch; of the nature of starch; starchy.

Amylate Am"y·late noun (Chemistry) A compound of the radical amyl with oxygen and a positive atom or radical.

Amylene Am"y·lene noun (Chemistry) One of a group of metameric hydrocarbons, C ₅ H ₁₀ , of the ethylene series. The colorless, volatile, mobile liquid commonly called amylene is a mixture of different members of the group.

Amylic A·myl"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, amyl; as, amylic ether. Amylic alcohol (Chemistry) , one of the series of alcohols, a transparent, colorless liquid, having a peculiar odor. It is the hydroxide of amyl. -- Amylic fermentation (Chemistry) , a process of fermentation in starch or sugar in which amylic alcohol is produced. Gregory.

Amylobacter Am`y·lo·bac"ter noun [ Latin amyl um starch + New Latin bacter ium. See Bacterium .] (Biol.) A microörganism ( Bacillus amylobacter ) which develops in vegetable tissue during putrefaction. Sternberg.

Amylogen A·myl"o·gen noun [ Amylum + -gen .] (Chemistry) That part of the starch granule or granulose which is soluble in water.

Amylogenesis Am`y·lo·gen"e·sis noun [ Amylum + genesis .] The formation of starch.

Amylogenic Am`y·lo·gen"ic adjective 1. Of or pert. to amylogen. 2. Forming starch; -- applied specif. to leucoplasts.

Amyloid Am"y·loid (ăm"ȳ*loid) noun 1. A non-nitrogenous starchy food; a starchlike substance. 2. (Medicine) The substance deposited in the organs in amyloid degeneration.

Amyloid, Amyloidal Am"y·loid, Am`y·loid"al adjective [ Latin amylum starch + -oid .] Resembling or containing amyl; starchlike. Amyloid degeneration (Medicine) , a diseased condition of various organs of the body, produced by the deposit of an albuminous substance, giving a blue color with iodine and sulphuric acid; - - called also waxy or lardaceous degeneration .

Amylolysis Am`y·lol"y·sis noun [ Amylum + Greek ... a loosing.] (Chemistry) The conversion of starch into soluble products, as dextrins and sugar, esp. by the action of enzymes. -- Am`y*lo*lyt"ic adjective

Amylolytic Am`y·lo·ly"tic adjective [ Greek ... starch + ... solvent; ... to dissolve.] (Physiol.) Effecting the conversion of starch into soluble dextrin and sugar; as, an amylolytic ferment. Foster.

Amylometer Am`y·lom"e·ter noun [ Amylum + -meter .] Instrument for determining the amount of starch in a substance.

Amyloplastic Am`y·lo·plas"tic adjective [ Amylum + -plastic .] Starch-forming; amylogenic.

Amylopsin Am`y·lop"sin noun [ Amylum + Greek ... appearance.] (Physiol. Chem.) The diastase of the pancreatic juice.

Amylose Am`y·lose" noun (Chemistry) One of the starch group (C ₆ H ₁₀ O ₅ )n of the carbohydrates; as, starch, arabin, dextrin, cellulose, etc.

Amyous Am"y·ous (ăm"ĭ*ŭs) adjective [ Greek 'a`myos .] (Medicine) Wanting in muscle; without flesh.

Amyss Am"yss (ăm"ĭs) noun Same as Amice , a hood or cape.

An An (ăn). [ Anglo-Saxon ān one, the same word as the numeral. See One , and confer A .] This word is properly an adjective , but is commonly called the indefinite article . It is used before nouns of the singular number only, and signifies one , or any , but somewhat less emphatically. In such expressions as "twice an hour," "once an age," a shilling an ounce (see 2d A , 2), it has a distributive force, and is equivalent to each , every . » An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound; as, an enemy, an hour. It in also often used before h sounded , when the accent of the word falls on the second syllable; as, an historian, an hyena, an heroic deed. Many writers use a before h in such positions. Anciently an was used before consonants as well as vowels.

An An conj. [ Shortened from and , Middle English an ., and , sometimes and if , in introducing conditional clauses, like Icelandic enda if, the same word as and . Prob. and was originally pleonastic before the conditional clause.] If; -- a word used by old English authors. Shak.

Nay, an thou dalliest, then I am thy foe.
B. Jonson.

An if , and if; if.

An 't An 't An it , that is, and it or if it . See An , conj. [ Obsolete]

An't An't A contraction for are and am not ; also used for is not ; -- now usually written ain't . [ Colloq. & illiterate speech.]

Ana A"na (ā"nȧ) adverb [ Greek 'ana` (used distributively).] (Medicine) Of each; an equal quantity; as, wine and honey, ana (or, contracted, aa ), ... ij., that is, of wine and honey, each, two ounces.

An apothecary with a . . . long bill of anas .
Dryden.

Ana- An"a- [ Greek 'ana` on; in comp. , on, up, upwards.] A prefix in words from the Greek, denoting up , upward , throughout , backward , back , again , anew .

Anabaptism An`a·bap"tism noun [ Latin anabaptismus , Greek 'anabaptismo`s : confer French anabaptisme . See Anabaptize .] The doctrine of the Anabaptists.

Anabaptist An`a·bap"tist noun [ Late Latin anabaptista , from Greek as if 'anabaptisth`s : confer French anabaptiste .] A name sometimes applied to a member of any sect holding that rebaptism is necessary for those baptized in infancy. » In church history, the name Anabaptists usually designates a sect of fanatics who greatly disturbed the peace of Germany, the Netherlands, etc., in the Reformation period. In more modern times the name has been applied to those who do not regard infant baptism as real and valid baptism.

Anabaptistic, Anabaptistical An`a·bap·tis"tic, An`a·bap·tis"tic·al adjective Relating or attributed to the Anabaptists, or their doctrines. Milton. Bp. Bull.

Anabaptistry An`a·bap"tist·ry noun The doctrine, system, or practice, of Anabaptists. [ R.]

Thus died this imaginary king; and Anabaptistry was suppressed in Munster.
Pagitt.

Anabaptize An`a·bap·tize" transitive verb [ Greek ..., from ... again + ... to baptize. See Baptize .] To rebaptize; to rechristen; also, to rename. [ R.] Whitlock.

Anabas An"a·bas noun [ Greek ..., past participle of ... to advance.] (Zoology) A genus of fishes, remarkable for their power of living long out of water, and of making their way on land for considerable distances, and for climbing trees; the climbing fishes.

Anabasis A·nab"a·sis noun [ Greek ..., from ... to go up; ... up + ... to go.] 1. A journey or expedition up from the coast, like that of the younger Cyrus into Central Asia, described by Xenophon in his work called "The Anabasis."

The anabasis of Napoleon.
De Quincey.

2. (Medicine) The first period, or increase, of a disease; augmentation. [ Obsolete]

Anabatic An`a·bat"ic adjective [ Greek ....] Pertaining to anabasis; as, an anabatic fever. [ Obsolete]

Anabolic An`a·bol"ic adjective [ Greek ... something heaped up; ... + ... a stroke.] (Physiol.) Pertaining to anabolism; an anabolic changes, or processes, more or less constructive in their nature.

Anabolism A·nab"o·lism noun (Physiol.) The constructive metabolism of the body, as distinguished from katabolism .

Anabranch An"a·branch noun [ Ana stomosing + branch .] A branch of a river that reënters, or anastomoses with, the main stream; also, less properly, a branch which loses itself in sandy soil. [ Australia]

Such branches of a river as after separation reunite, I would term anastomosing branches; or, if a word might be coined, anabranches , and the islands they form branch islands.

Col. Jackson.

Anacœnosis An`a·cœ·no"sis noun [ Greek ..., from ..., to communicate; ... up + ... to make common, ... common.] (Rhet.) A figure by which a speaker appeals to his hearers or opponents for their opinion on the point in debate. Walker.

Anacamptic An`a·camp"tic adjective [ Greek ... to bend back; ... back + ... to bend.] Reflecting of reflected; as, an anacamptic sound (and echo). » The word was formerly applied to that part of optics which treats of reflection; the same as what is now called catoptric . See Catoptrics .

Anacamptically An`a·camp"tic·al·ly adverb By reflection; as, echoes are sound produced anacamptically . Hutton.

Anacamptics An`a·camp"tics noun 1. The science of reflected light, now called catoptrics . 2. The science of reflected sounds.

Anacanthini, Anacanths An`a·can"thi·ni, An"a·canths noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek 'an priv. + ... thorny, from ... thorn.] (Zoology) A group of teleostean fishes destitute of spiny fin-rays, as the cod.

Anacanthous An`a·can"thous adjective Spineless, as certain fishes.

Anacardiaceous An`a·car"di·a"ceous adjective (Botany) Belonging to, or resembling, a family, or order, of plants of which the cashew tree is the type, and the species of sumac are well known examples.

Anacardic An`a·car"dic adjective Pertaining to, or derived from, the cashew nut; as, anacardic acid.

Anacardium An`a·car"di·um noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... similar to + ... heart; -- the fruit of this plant being thought to resemble the heart of a bird.] (Botany) A genus of plants including the cashew tree. See Cashew .

Anacathartic An`a·ca·thar"tic adjective [ Greek ..., from ... to cleanse upward, i. e. , by vomiting; ... + .... See Cathartic .] (Medicine) Producing vomiting or expectoration. -- noun An anacathartic medicine; an expectorant or an emetic.

Anacharis An·ach"a·ris noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... up + ... grace.] (Botany) A fresh-water weed of the frog's-bit family ( Hydrocharidaceæ ), native to America. Transferred to England it became an obstruction to navigation. Called also waterweed and water thyme .