Myositis My`o·si"tis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., ..., muscle + -itis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the muscles.

Myosotis My`o·so"tis noun [ New Latin ; Greek ..., lit., mouse ear.] (Botany) A genus of plants. See Mouse- ear .

Myotic My·ot"ic adjective [ See Myosis .] (Medicine) Producing myosis, or contraction of the pupil of the eye, as opium, calabar bean, etc. -- noun A myotic agent.

Myotome My"o·tome noun [ See Myotomy .] (Anat.) (a) A muscular segment; one of the zones into which the muscles of the trunk, especially in fishes, are divided; a myocomma. (b) One of the embryonic muscular segments arising from the protovertebræ; also, one of the protovertebræ themselves. (c) The muscular system of one metamere of an articulate.

Myotomic My`o·tom"ic adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to a myotome or myotomes.

Myotomy My·ot"o·my noun [ Myo- + Greek ... to cut: confer French myotomie .] The dissection, or that part of anatomy which treats of the dissection, of muscles.

Myrcia Myr"ci·a noun [ New Latin ] (Botany) A large genus of tropical American trees and shrubs, nearly related to the true myrtles ( Myrtus ), from which they differ in having very few seeds in each berry.

Myria- Myr"i·a- [ Greek ... a myriad. See Myriad .] A prefix, esp. in the metric system, indicating ten thousand , ten thousand times ; as, myria meter.

Myriacanthous Myr`i·a·can"thous adjective [ Greek ... numberless + 'a`kanqa a spine.] (Zoology) Having numerous spines, as certain fishes.

Myriad Myr"i·ad noun [ Greek ..., ..., from ... numberless, plural ... ten thousand: confer French myriade .] 1. The number of ten thousand; ten thousand persons or things.

2. An immense number; a very great many; an indefinitely large number.

Myriad Myr"i·ad adjective Consisting of a very great, but indefinite, number; as, myriad stars.

Myriagram, Myriagramme Myr"i·a·gram, Myr"i·a·gramme noun [ French myriagramme . See Myria- , and 3d Gram .] A metric weight, consisting of ten thousand grams or ten kilograms. It is equal to 22.046 lbs. avoirdupois.

Myrialiter, Myrialitre Myr"i·a·li`ter, Myr"i·a·li`tre noun [ French myrialitre . See Myria- , and Liter .] A metric measure of capacity, containing ten thousand liters. It is equal to 2641.7 wine gallons.

Myriameter, Myriametre Myr"i·a·me`ter, Myr"i·a·me`tre noun [ French myriamètre . See Myria- , and Meter .] A metric measure of length, containing ten thousand meters. It is equal to 6.2137 miles.

Myriapod Myr"i·a·pod noun [ Confer French myriapode .] (Zoology) One of the Myriapoda.

Myriapoda Myr`i·ap"o·da noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... numberless + -poda .] (Zoology) A class, or subclass, of arthropods, related to the hexapod insects, from which they differ in having the body made up of numerous similar segments, nearly all of which bear true jointed legs. They have one pair of antennæ, three pairs of mouth organs, and numerous tracheæ, similar to those of true insects. The larvæ, when first hatched, often have but three pairs of legs. See Centiped , Galleyworm , Milliped .

» The existing Myriapoda are divided into three orders: Chilopoda , Chilognatha or Diplopoda , and Pauropoda (see these words in the Vocabulary). Large fossil species (very different from any living forms) are found in the Carboniferous formation.

Myriarch Myr"i·arch noun [ Greek ..., ...; ... ten thousand + ... chief.] A captain or commander of ten thousand men.

Myriare Myr"i·are noun [ French See Myria- , and 2d Are .] A measure of surface in the metric system containing ten thousand ares, or one million square meters. It is equal to about 247.1 acres.

Myrica My·ri"ca noun [ Latin , from Greek ... tamarisk.] (Botany) A widely dispersed genus of shrubs and trees, usually with aromatic foliage. It includes the bayberry or wax myrtle, the sweet gale, and the North American sweet fern, so called.

Myricin Myr"i·cin noun [ Confer French myricine . Prob. so called from a fancied resemblance to the wax of the bayberry ( Myrica ).] (Chemistry) A silky, crystalline, waxy substance, forming the less soluble part of beeswax, and regarded as a palmitate of a higher alcohol of the paraffin series; -- called also myricyl alcohol .

Myricyl Myr"i·cyl noun [ Myric in + -yl .] (Chemistry) A hypothetical radical regarded as the essential residue of myricin; -- called also melissyl .

Myriological Myr`i·o·log"ic·al adjective Of or relating to a myriologue.

Myriologist Myr`i·ol"o·gist noun One who composes or sings a myriologue.

Myriologue Myr"i·o·logue noun [ French myriologue , myriologie , NGr. ..., ..., from Greek Moi^ra the goddess of fate or death + lo`gos speech, discourse.] An extemporaneous funeral song, composed and sung by a woman on the death of a friend. [ Modern Greece]

Myriophyllous Myr`i·oph"yl·lous adjective [ Greek ... numberless + fy`llon leaf.] (Botany) Having an indefinitely great or countless number of leaves.

Myriopoda Myr`i·op"o·da noun plural See Myriapoda .

Myriorama Myr`i·o·ra"ma noun [ Greek ... numberless + ... a sight, from ... to see.] A picture made up of several smaller pictures, drawn upon separate pieces in such a manner as to admit of combination in many different ways, thus producing a great variety of scenes or landscapes.

Myrioscope Myr"i·o·scope noun [ Greek ... numberless + -scope .] A form of kaleidoscope.

Myristate My·ris"tate (mĭ*rĭs"tat) noun (Chemistry) A salt of myristic acid.

Myristic My·ris"tic (mĭ*rĭs"tĭk) adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, the nutmeg ( Myristica ). Specifically, designating an acid found in nutmeg oil and otoba fat, and extracted as a white crystalline waxy substance.

Myristin My·ris"tin noun (Chemistry) The myristate of glycerin, -- found as a vegetable fat in nutmeg butter, etc.

Myristone My·ris"tone noun [ Myrist ic + -one .] (Chemistry) The ketone of myristic acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance.

Myrmecophyte Myr"me·co·phyte` noun [ Greek my`rmhx , my`rmhkos , ant + fyto`n plant.] (Botany) A plant that affords shelter and food to certain species of ants which live in symbiotic relations with it. Special adaptations for this purpose exist; thus, Acacia spadicigera has large hollows thorns, and species of Cecropia have stem cavities. -- Myr`me*co*phyt"ic adjective

Myrmicine Myr"mi·cine adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to Myrmica , a genus of ants including the small house ant ( M. molesta ), and many others.

Myrmidon Myr"mi·don noun [ Latin Myrmidones , Greek ..., plural] 1. One of a fierce tribe or troop who accompanied Achilles, their king, to the Trojan war.

2. A soldier or a subordinate civil officer who executes cruel orders of a superior without protest or pity; -- sometimes applied to bailiffs, constables, etc. Thackeray.

With unabated ardor the vindictive man of law and his myrmidons pressed forward.

W. H. Ainsworth.

Myrmidonian Myr`mi·do"ni·an adjective Consisting of, or like, myrmidons. Pope.

Myrmotherine Myr`mo·the"rine adjective [ Greek ... an ant + ... to hunt.] (Zoology) Feeding upon ants; -- said of certain birds.

Myrobalan, Myrobolan My·rob"a·lan, My·rob"o·lan noun [ Latin myrobalanum the fruit of a palm tree from which a balsam was made, Greek ...; ... any sweet juice distilling from plants, any prepared unguent or sweet oil + ... an acorn or any similar fruit: confer French myrobolan .] A dried astringent fruit much resembling a prune. It contains tannin, and was formerly used in medicine, but is now chiefly used in tanning and dyeing. Myrobolans are produced by various species of Terminalia of the East Indies, and of Spondias of South America.

Myronic My·ron"ic adjective [ Greek ... a sweet- smelling unguent.] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or obtained from, mustard; -- used specifically to designate a glucoside called myronic acid , found in mustard seed.

Myropolist My·rop"o·list noun [ Greek ...; ... unguent + ... to sell.] One who sells unguents or perfumery. [ Obsolete] Jonhson.

Myrosin Myr"o·sin noun (Chemistry) A ferment, resembling diastase, found in mustard seeds.

Myroxylon My·rox"y·lon noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... a sweet juice distilling from a plant + ... wood.] (Botany) A genus of leguminous trees of tropical America, the different species of which yield balsamic products, among which are balsam of Peru, and balsam of Tolu. The species were formerly referred to Myrospermum .

Myrrh Myrrh noun [ Middle English mirre , Old French mirre , French myrrhe , Latin myrrha , murra , Greek ...; confer Arabic murr bitter, also myrrh, Hebrew mar bitter.] A gum resin, usually of a yellowish brown or amber color, of an aromatic odor, and a bitter, slightly pungent taste. It is valued for its odor and for its medicinal properties. It exudes from the bark of a shrub of Abyssinia and Arabia, the Balsamodendron Myrrha . The myrrh of the Bible is supposed to have been partly the gum above named, and partly the exudation of species of Cistus , or rockrose.

False myrrh . See the Note under Bdellium .

Myrrhic Myr"rhic adjective Of, pertaining to, or obtained from, myrrh.

Myrrhine Myr"rhine adjective Murrhine.

Myrtaceous Myr·ta"ceous adjective [ Latin myrtaceus .] (Botany) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a large and important natural order of trees and shrubs ( Myrtaceæ ), of which the myrtle is the type. It includes the genera Eucalyptus , Pimenta , Lechythis , and about seventy more.

Myrtiform Myr"ti·form adjective [ Latin myrtus myrtle + -form : confer French myrtiforme .] Resembling myrtle or myrtle berries; having the form of a myrtle leaf.

Myrtle Myr"tle (mẽr"t'l) noun [ French myrtil bilberry, prop., a little myrtle, from myrte myrtle, Latin myrtus , murtus , Greek my`rtos ; confer Persian mūrd .] (Botany) A species of the genus Myrtus , especially Myrtus communis . The common myrtle has a shrubby, upright stem, eight or ten feet high. Its branches form a close, full head, thickly covered with ovate or lanceolate evergreen leaves. It has solitary axillary white or rosy flowers, followed by black several-seeded berries. The ancients considered it sacred to Venus. The flowers, leaves, and berries are used variously in perfumery and as a condiment, and the beautifully mottled wood is used in turning.

» The name is also popularly but wrongly applied in America to two creeping plants, the blue-flowered periwinkle and the yellow- flowered moneywort. In the West Indies several myrtaceous shrubs are called myrtle .

Bog myrtle , the sweet gale. -- Crape myrtle . See under Crape . -- Myrtle warbler (Zoology) , a North American wood warbler ( Dendroica coronata ); -- called also myrtle bird , yellow-rumped warbler , and yellow- crowned warbler . -- Myrtle wax . (Botany) See Bayberry tallow , under Bayberry . -- Sand myrtle , a low, branching evergreen shrub ( Leiophyllum buxifolium ), growing in New Jersey and southward. -- Wax myrtle ( Myrica cerifera ). See Bayberry .

Myself My·self" pron. ; plural Ourselves I or me in person; -- used for emphasis, my own self or person; as I myself will do it; I have done it myself ; -- used also instead of me , as the object of the first person of a reflexive verb, without emphasis; as, I will defend myself .

Myselven My·selv"en pron. Myself. [ Obsolete]

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