Megapode Meg"a·pode noun [
Mega- + Greek
poy`s ,
podo`s , foot.]
(Zoology) Any one of several species of large-footed, gallinaceous birds of the genera Megapodius and Leipoa , inhabiting Australia and other Pacific islands. See Jungle fowl (b) under Jungle , and Leipoa .
Megapolis Me·gap"o·lis noun [ New Latin , from Greek
me`gas great +
po`lis city.]
A metropolis. [ Obsolete]
Sir T. Herbert.
Megarian, Megaric Me·ga"ri·an, Me·gar"ic adjective Belonging, or pertaining, to Megara, a city of ancient Greece. Megarian , or
Megaric ,
school ,
a school of philosophy established at Megara, after the death of Socrates, by his disciples, and remarkable for its logical subtlety.
Megascope Meg"a·scope noun [
Mega- +
-scope : confer French
mégascope .]
A modification of the magic lantern, used esp. for throwing a magnified image of an opaque object on a screen, solar or artificial light being used. [ archaic]
Megascopic, Megascopical Meg`a·scop"ic, Meg`a·scop"ic·al adjective 1. (Physics) Of or pertaining to the megascope or the projection upon a screen of images of opaque objects. (b) Enlarged or magnified; -- said of images or of photographic pictures, etc. 2. (Geol.) Large enough to be seen; -- said of the larger structural features and components of rocks which do not require the use of the microscope to be perceived. Opposed to microscopic .
Megaseme Meg"a·seme adjective [
Mega- + Greek ... sing, mark: confer French
mégasème .]
(Anat.) Having the orbital index relatively large; having the orbits narrow transversely; -- opposed to microseme .
Megass, Megasse Me"gass", Me·gasse" noun See Bagasse .
Megasthene Meg"as·thene noun [ Greek
me`gas great +
sthe`nos strength.]
(Zoology) One of a group which includes the higher orders of mammals, having a large size as a typical characteristic.
Megasthenic Meg`as·then"ic adjective (Zoology) Having a typically large size; belonging to the megasthenes.
Megastome Meg"a·stome noun [ Greek
me`gas great +
sto`ma mouth.]
(Zoology) One of a group of univalve shells, having a large aperture or mouth.
Megathere Meg"a·there Meg`a*the"ri*um noun [ New Latin megatherium , from Greek me`gas great + thyri`on beast.] (Paleon.) An extinct gigantic quaternary mammal, allied to the ant-eaters and sloths. Its remains are found in South America.
Megatheroid Meg`a·the"roid noun [
Megatherium +
-oid .]
(Paleon.) One of a family of extinct edentates found in America. The family includes the megatherium, the megalonyx, etc.
Megavolt Meg`a·volt" noun [
Mega- +
volt .]
(Electricity) One of the larger measures of electro-motive force, amounting to one million volts.
Megaweber Meg`a·we"ber noun [
Mega- +
weber .]
(Electricity) A million webers.
Megerg Meg"erg` noun [
Mega- +
erg .]
(Physics) One of the larger measures of work, amounting to one million ergs; -- called also megalerg .
Megilp, Megilph Me·gilp", Me·gilph" noun (Paint.) A gelatinous compound of linseed oil and mastic varnish, used by artists as a vehicle for colors. [ Written also
magilp , and
magilph .]
Megohm Meg"ohm" noun [
Mega- +
ohm .]
(Electricity) One of the larger measures of electrical resistance, amounting to one million ohms.
Megrim Me"grim noun [ Middle English
migrim ,
migrene , French
migraine , Late Latin
hemigrania , Latin
hemicrania ,
hemicranium , Greek
"hmikrani`a ;
"hmi- half +
krani`on skull. See
Hemi- and
Cranium , and confer
Hemicrania ,
Migraine .]
1. A kind of sick or nervous headache, usually periodical and confined to one side of the head. 2. A fancy; a whim; a freak; a humor; esp., in the plural, lowness of spirits. These are his megrims , firks, and melancholies.
Ford. 3. plural (Far.) A sudden vertigo in a horse, succeeded sometimes by unconsciousness, produced by an excess of blood in the brain; a mild form of apoplexy. Youatt.
Megrim Me"grim noun [ Etymol. uncertain.]
(Zoology) The British smooth sole, or scaldfish ( Psetta arnoglossa ).
Meibomian Mei·bo"mi·an adjective (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or discovered by, Meibomius . Meibomian glands ,
the slender sebaceous glands of the eyelids, which discharge, through minute orifices in the edges of the lids, a fatty secretion serving to lubricate the adjacent parts.
Meine Meine transitive verb See Menge .
Meine, Meiny Mein"e, Mein"y noun [ Old French
maisniée ,
maisnie . See
Menial .]
1. A family, including servants, etc.; household; retinue; train. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer. Shak. 2. Company; band; army. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Meiocene Mei"o·cene adjective (Geol.) See Miocene .
Meionite Mei"o·nite noun [ Greek
mei`wn smaller. So called in a allusion to the low pyramids of the crystals.]
(Min.) A member of the scapolite group, occuring in glassy crystals on Monte Somma, near Naples.
Meiosis Mei·o"sis (mi*ō"sĭs)
noun [ New Latin , from Greek
mei`wsis , from
meioy^n to make smaller, from
mei`wn . See
Meionite .]
(Rhet.) Diminution; a species of hyperbole, representing a thing as being less than it really is.
Meiostemonous Mei`o·stem"o·nous adjective [ Greek
mei`wn smaller + ... warp, thread.]
(Botany) Having fever stamens than the parts of the corolla.
Meistersinger Meis"ter·sing`er noun [ G.]
See Mastersinger .
Mekhitarist Mekh"i·tar·ist noun (Eccl. Hist.) See Mechitarist .
Melaconite Me·lac"o·nite noun [ Greek
me`las black + ... dust.]
(Min.) An earthy black oxide of copper, arising from the decomposition of other ores.
Melada Me·la"da Me*la"do noun [ Spanish , propast participle p. of melar to sugar, candy, from Latin mel honey. See Molasses .] A mixture of sugar and molasses; crude sugar as it comes from the pans without being drained.
Melain Mel"ain noun [ See
Melæna .]
The dark coloring matter of the liquid of the cuttlefish.
Melainotype Me·lai"no·type noun See Melanotype .
Melam Me"lam (mē"lăm)
noun [ Confer French
mélam .]
(Chemistry) A white or buff-colored granular powder, C 6 H 9 N 11 , obtained by heating ammonium sulphocyanate.
Melamine Me·lam"ine noun (Chemistry) A strong nitrogenous base, C 3 H 6 N 6 , produced from several cyanogen compounds, and obtained as a white crystalline substance, -- formerly supposed to be produced by the decomposition of melam . Called also cyanuramide .
Melampode Mel"am·pode noun [ Greek
melampo`dion ; of uncertain origin.]
The black hellebore. [ Obsolete]
Spenser.
Melampyrin, Melampyrite Mel`am·py"rin, Mel`am·py"rite noun [ New Latin
Melampyrum cowwheat; Greek
me`las black +
pyro`s wheat.]
(Chemistry) The saccharine substance dulcite; -- so called because found in the leaves of cowwheat ( Melampyrum ). See Dulcite .
Melanagogue Me·lan"a·gogue noun [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black + ... leading, driving, ... to lead.]
(Medicine) A medicine supposed to expel black bile or choler. [ Obsolete]
Melancholia Mel`an·cho"li·a noun [ Latin See
Melancholy .]
(Medicine) A kind of mental unsoundness characterized by extreme depression of spirits, ill-grounded fears, delusions, and brooding over one particular subject or train of ideas.
Melancholian Mel`an·cho"li·an noun A person affected with melancholy; a melancholic. [ Obsolete]
Dr. J. Scott.
Melancholic Mel"an·chol`ic adjective [ Latin
melancholicus , Greek ...: confer French
mélancholique .]
Given to melancholy; depressed; melancholy; dejected; unhappy. Just as the melancholic eye
Sees fleets and armies in the sky.
Prior.
Melancholic Mel"an·chol`ic noun [ Obsolete]
1. One affected with a gloomy state of mind. J. Spenser. 2. A gloomy state of mind; melancholy. Clarendon.
Melancholily Mel"an·chol`i·ly adverb In a melancholy manner.
Melancholiness Mel"an·chol`i·ness noun The state or quality of being melancholy. Hallywell.
Melancholious Mel`an·cho"li·ous adjective [ Confer Old French
melancholieux .]
Melancholy. [ R.]
Milton.
Melancholist Mel"an·chol·ist noun One affected with melancholy or dejection. [ Obsolete]
Glanvill.
Melancholize Mel"an·cho·lize intransitive verb To become gloomy or dejected in mind. Barrow.
Melancholize Mel"an·cho·lize transitive verb To make melancholy.
Melancholy Mel"an·chol·y noun [ Middle English
melancolie , French
mélancolie , Latin
melancholia , from Greek ...;
me`las ,
-anos , black + ... gall, bile. See
Malice , and 1st
Gall .]
1. Depression of spirits; a gloomy state continuing a considerable time; deep dejection; gloominess. Shak. 2. Great and continued depression of spirits, amounting to mental unsoundness; melancholia. 3. Pensive maditation; serious thoughtfulness. [ Obsolete] "Hail, divinest
Melancholy !"
Milton. 4. Ill nature. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Melancholy Mel"an·chol·y adjective 1. Depressed in spirits; dejected; gloomy dismal. Shak. 2. Producing great evil and grief; causing dejection; calamitous; afflictive; as, a melancholy event. 3. Somewhat deranged in mind; having the jugment impaired. [ Obsolete]
Bp. Reynolds. 4. Favorable to meditation; somber. A pretty, melancholy seat, well wooded and watered.
Evelin. Syn. -- Gloomy; sad; dispirited; low-spirited; downhearted; unhappy; hypochondriac; disconsolate; heavy, doleful; dismal; calamitous; afflictive.
Melanconiaceæ Mel`an·co`ni·a"ce·æ noun plural [ New Latin ]
(Botany) A family of fungi constituting the order Melanconiales. --
Mel`an*co`ni*a"ceous adjective
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