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

Answerless adjective Having no answer, or impossible to be answered. Byron.

Ant noun [ Middle English ante , amete , emete , Anglo-Saxon æmete akin to German ameise . Confer Emmet .] (Zoology) A hymenopterous insect of the Linnæan genus Formica , which is now made a family of several genera; an emmet; a pismire.

» Among ants, as among bees, there are neuter or working ants, besides the males and females; the former are without wings. Ants live together in swarms, usually raising hillocks of earth, variously chambered within, where they maintain a perfect system of order, store their provisions, and nurture their young. There are many species, with diverse habits, as agricultural ants , carpenter ants , honey ants , foraging ants , amazon ants , etc. The white ants or Termites belong to the Neuroptera.

Ant bird (Zoology) , one of a very extensive group of South American birds ( Formicariidæ ), which live on ants. The family includes many species, some of which are called ant shrikes , ant thrushes , and ant wrens . -- Ant rice (Botany) , a species of grass ( Aristida oligantha ) cultivated by the agricultural ants of Texas for the sake of its seed.

Ant bird (Zoology) See Ant bird , under Ant , noun

Ant cow (Zoology) Any aphid from which ants obtain honeydew.

Ant egg One of the small white egg-shaped pupæ or cocoons of the ant, often seen in or about ant-hills, and popularly supposed to be eggs.

Ant thrush (Zoology) (a) One of several species of tropical birds, of the Old World, of the genus Pitta , somewhat resembling the thrushes, and feeding chiefly on ants. (b) See Ant bird , under Ant .

Ant- See Anti- , prefix.

Ant-bear noun (Zoology) An edentate animal of tropical America (the Tamanoir ), living on ants. It belongs to the genus Myrmecophaga .

Ant-cattle noun plural (Zoology) Various kinds of plant lice or aphids tended by ants for the sake of the honeydew which they secrete. See Aphips .

Ant-eater noun (Zoology) One of several species of edentates and monotremes that feed upon ants. See Ant-bear , Pangolin , Aard-vark , and Echidna .

Antœci (ăn*tē"sī), An*tœ"cians (-sh a nz) noun pl . [ New Latin antoeci , from Greek plural 'a`ntoiki ; 'anti` opposite + o'ikei^n to live.] Those who live under the same meridian, but on opposite parallels of latitude, north and south of the equator.

Anta noun ; plural Antæ [ Latin ] (Architecture) A species of pier produced by thickening a wall at its termination, treated architecturally as a pilaster, with capital and base.

» Porches, when columns stand between two antæ , are called in Latin in antis .

Antacid noun [ Pref. anti- + acid .] (Medicine) A remedy for acidity of the stomach, as an alkali or absorbent. -- adjective Counteractive of acidity.

Antacrid adjective [ Prefix anti- + acrid .] Corrective of acrimony of the humors.

Antagonism noun [ Greek ..., from ... to struggle against; ... against + ... to contend or struggle, ... contest: confer French antagonisme . See Agony .] Opposition of action; counteraction or contrariety of things or principles.

» We speak of antagonism between two things, to or against a thing, and sometimes with a thing.

Antagonist noun [ Latin antagonista , Greek ...; ... against + ... combatant, champion, from ...: confer French antagoniste . See Antagonism .]
1. One who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; an opponent.

Antagonist of Heaven's Almigthy King.
Milton.

Our antagonists in these controversies.
Hooker.

2. (Anat.) A muscle which acts in opposition to another; as a flexor , which bends a part, is the antagonist of an extensor , which extends it.

3. (Medicine) A medicine which opposes the action of another medicine or of a poison when absorbed into the blood or tissues.

Syn. -- Adversary; enemy; opponent; toe; competitor. See Adversary .

Antagonist adjective Antagonistic; opposing; counteracting; as, antagonist schools of philosophy.

Antagonistic, Antagonistical adjective Opposing in combat, combating; contending or acting against; as, antagonistic forces. -- An*tag`o*nis"tic*al*ly , adverb

They were distinct, adverse, even antagonistic .
Milman.

Antagonize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Antagonized ; present participle & verbal noun Antagonozing .] [ Greek .... See Antagonism .] To contend with; to oppose actively; to counteract.

Antagonize intransitive verb To act in opposition.

Antagony noun [ Greek ...; ... + ... contest: confer F. (16th century) antagonie . See Antagonism .] Contest; opposition; antagonism. [ Obsolete]

Antagony that is between Christ and Belial.
Milton.

Antalgic adjective [ Prefix anti- + Greek ... pain: confer French antalgique .] (Medicine) Alleviating pain. -- noun A medicine to alleviate pain; an anodyne. [ R.]

Antalkali (?; 277), Ant*al"ka*line noun [ Prefix anti- + alkali .] Anything that neutralizes, or that counteracts an alkaline tendency in the system. Hooper.

Antalkaline adjective Of power to counteract alkalies.

Antambulacral (ănt*ăm`bu*lā"kr a l) adjective (Zoology) Away from the ambulacral region.

Antanaclasis noun [ Greek ...; ... + ... a bending back and breaking. See Anaclastic .] (Rhet.) (a) A figure which consists in repeating the same word in a different sense; as, Learn some craft when young, that when old you may live without craft . (b) A repetition of words beginning a sentence, after a long parenthesis; as, Shall that heart (which not only feels them, but which has all motions of life placed in them), shall that heart , etc.

Antanagoge noun [ Prefix anti- + anagoge .] (Rhet.) A figure which consists in answering the charge of an adversary, by a counter charge.

Antaphrodisiac adjective [ Prefix anti- + aphrodisiac .] (Medicine) Capable of blunting the venereal appetite. -- noun Anything that quells the venereal appetite.

Antaphroditic adjective [ Prefix anti- + Greek ... Aphrodite: confer French antaphroditique .] (Medicine)
1. Antaphrodisiac.

2. Antisyphilitic. [ R.]

Antaphroditic noun An antaphroditic medicine.

Antapoplectic adjective [ Prefix anti- + apoplectic .] (Medicine) Good against apoplexy. -- noun A medicine used against apoplexy.

Antarchism noun [ Prefix anti- + Greek ... government.] Opposition to government in general. [ R.]

Antarchist noun One who opposes all government. [ R.]

Antarchistic, Antarchistical adjective Opposed to all human government. [ R.]

Antarctic adjective [ Middle English antartik , Old French antartique , French antarctique , Latin antarcticus , from Greek ...; ... + ... bear. See Arctic .] Opposite to the northern or arctic pole; relating to the southern pole or to the region near it, and applied especially to a circle, distant from the pole 23° 28&min;. Thus we say the antarctic pole, circle, ocean, region, current, etc.

Antares noun [ Greek ...; ... similar to + ... Mars. It was thought to resemble Mars in color.] The principal star in Scorpio: -- called also the Scorpion's Heart .

Antarthritic adjective [ Prefix anti- + arthritic .] (Medicine) Counteracting or alleviating gout. -- noun A remedy against gout.

Antasthmatic adjective [ Prefix anti- + asthmatic .] (Medicine) Opposing, or fitted to relieve, asthma. -- noun A remedy for asthma.

Ante noun (Poker Playing) Each player's stake, which is put into the pool before ( ante ) the game begins.

Ante transitive verb & i. To put up (an ante).

Ante mortem [ Latin ] Before death; -- generally used adjectivelly; as, an ante-mortem statement; ante- mortem examination.

» The ante-mortem statement, or dying declaration made in view of death, by one injured, as to the cause and manner of the injury, is often receivable in evidence against one charged with causing the death.

Ante- (ăn"te-). A Latin preposition and prefix; akin to Greek 'anti` , Sanskrit anti , Goth. and- , anda- (only in comp.), Anglo-Saxon and- , ond- , (only in comp.: confer Answer , Along ), German ant- , ent- (in comp.). The Latin ante is generally used in the sense of before , in regard to position, order, or time, and the Greek 'anti` in that of opposite , or in the place of .

Anteact noun A preceding act.

Anteal adjective [ antea , ante , before. Confer Ancient .] Being before, or in front. [ R.] J. Fleming.

Antecedaneous adjective [ See Antecede .] Antecedent; preceding in time. "Capable of antecedaneous proof." Barrow.

Antecede transitive verb & i. [ Latin antecedere ; ante + cedere to go. See Cede .] To go before in time or place; to precede; to surpass. Sir M. Hale.

Antecedence noun
1. The act or state of going before in time; precedence. H. Spenser.

2. (Astron.) An apparent motion of a planet toward the west; retrogradation.

Antecedency noun The state or condition of being antecedent; priority. Fothherby.

Antæan adjective [ Greek ....] Pertaining to Antæus, a giant athlete slain by Hercules.