Melanconiales Mel`an·co`ni·a"les noun plural [ New Latin , from
Melanconium , name of the typical genus, from Greek ... black + ... dust, in allusion to the dark spores.]
(Botany) The smallest of the three orders of Fungi Imperfecti, including those with no asci nor pycnidia, but as a rule having the spores in cavities without special walls. They cause many of the plant diseases known as anthracnose.
Melanesian Mel`a·ne"sian adjective [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black + ... island.
Melanesia was so called from the dark complexion of the natives.]
Of or pertaining to Melanesia.
Mélange Mé`lange" noun [ French See
Mell ,
Meddle .]
A mixture; a medley.
Melanian Me·la"ni·an noun (Zoology) One of a family of fresh-water pectinibranchiate mollusks, having a turret-shaped shell.
Melanic Me·lan"ic adjective [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black.]
1. Melanotic. 2. (Ethnol.) Of or pertaining to the black-haired races. Prichard.
Melaniline Me·lan"i·line noun (Chemistry) A complex nitrogenous hydrocarbon obtained artificially (as by the action of cyanogen chloride on aniline) as a white, crystalline substance; -- called also diphenyl guanidin .
Melanin Mel"a·nin noun [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black.]
(Physiol.) A black pigment found in the pigment-bearing cells of the skin (particularly in the skin of the negro), in the epithelial cells of the external layer of the retina (then called fuscin ), in the outer layer of the choroid, and elsewhere. It is supposed to be derived from the decomposition of hemoglobin.
Melanism Mel"a·nism (mĕl"ȧ*nĭz'm)
noun [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black.]
1. An undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages; -- the opposite of albinism . 2. (Medicine) A disease; black jaundice. See Melæna .
Melanism Mel"a·nism noun (Ethnol.) The character of having a high degree of pigmentation, as shown in dark skin, eyes, and hair.
Melanistic Mel`a·nis"tic adjective Affected with melanism; of the nature of melanism.
Melanite Mel"a·nite noun [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black: confer French
mélanite .]
(Min.) A black variety of garnet.
Melanochroi Mel`a·noch"ro·i noun plural [ New Latin See
Melanochroic .]
(Ethnol.) A group of the human race, including the dark whites.
Melanochroic Mel`a·no·chro"ic adjective [ Greek
melana`chroos ;
me`las ,
-anos , black +
chroa` color.]
Having a dark complexion; of or pertaining to the Melanochroi.
Melanochroite Mel`a·no·chro"ite noun [ See
Melanochroic .]
(Min.) A mineral of a red, or brownish or yellowish red color. It is a chromate of lead; -- called also phœnicocroite .
Melanocomous Mel`a·noc"o·mous adjective [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black + ... hair.]
Having very dark or black hair; black-haired. Prichard.
Melanoma Mel`a·no"ma noun ; Latin plural
- nomata . [ New Latin ; Greek ..., ..., black +
-oma .]
(Medicine) (a) A tumor containing dark pigment. (b) Development of dark-pigmented tumors.
Melanorrhœa Mel`a·nor·rhœ"a noun [ New Latin , from Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black + ... to flow.]
(Botany) An East Indian genus of large trees. Melanorrhœa usitatissima is the lignum-vitæ of Pegu, and yields a valuable black varnish.
Melanoscope Me·lan"o·scope noun [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black +
-scope .]
(Opt.) An instrument containing a combination of colored glasses such that they transmit only red light, so that objects of other colors, as green leaves, appear black when seen through it. It is used for viewing colored flames, to detect the presence of potassium, lithium, etc., by the red light which they emit.
Melanosis Mel`a·no"sis [ New Latin , from Greek ... a growing black, from me`las , -anos , black.] (Medicine) The morbid deposition of black matter, often of a malignant character, causing pigmented tumors.
Melanosperm Me·lan"o·sperm noun [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black +
spe`rma seed.]
(Botany) An alga of any kind that produces blackish spores, or seed dust. The melanosperms include the rockweeds and all kinds of kelp. --
Mel`a*no*sper"mous adjective
Melanotic Mel`a·not"ic adjective Melanistic.
Melanotype Me·lan"o·type noun [ Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black +
-type .]
(Photog.) A positive picture produced with sensitized collodion on a smooth surface of black varnish, coating a thin plate of iron; also, the process of making such a picture. [ Written also
melainotype .]
Melanterite Me·lan"ter·ite noun (Min.) A hydrous sulphate of iron of a green color and vitreous luster; iron vitriol.
Melanure Mel"a·nure noun [ New Latin
melanurus , from Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black +
o'ura` tail.]
(Zoology) A small fish of the Mediterranean; a gilthead. See Gilthead (a) .
Melanuric Mel`a·nu"ric adjective [
Melam +
urea .]
(Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, a complex nitrogenous acid obtained by decomposition of melam, or of urea, as a white crystalline powder; -- called also melanurenic acid .
Melanæmia Mel`a·næ"mi·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black +
a"i^ma blood.]
(Medicine) A morbid condition in which the blood contains black pigment either floating freely or imbedded in the white blood corpuscles.
Melaphyre Mel"a·phyre noun [ French, from Greek
me`las ,
-anos , black + por
phyre porphyry.]
(Min.) Any one of several dark-colored augitic, eruptive rocks allied to basalt.
Melasma Me·las"ma noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... black spot.]
(Medicine) A dark discoloration of the skin, usually local; as, Addison's melasma , or Addison's disease. --
Me*las"mic adjective
Melasses Me·las"ses noun See Molasses .
Melassic Me·las"sic adjective [ See
Molasses .]
(Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid obtained from molasses or glucose, and probably identical with saccharic acid. See Saccharic .
Melastoma Me·las"to·ma noun [ New Latin , from Greek
me`las black +
sto`ma mouth.]
(Botany) A genus of evergreen tropical shrubs; -- so called from the black berries of some species, which stain the mouth.
Melastomaceous Mel`a·sto·ma"ceous adjective (Botany) Belonging to the order of which Melastoma is the type.
Melchite Mel"chite noun [ Hebrew
melek king.]
(Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect, chiefly in Syria and Egypt, which acknowledges the authority of the pope, but adheres to the liturgy and ceremonies of the Eastern Church.
Meld Meld transitive verb & i. [
imperfect & past participle Melded ;
present participle & verbal noun Melding .] [ German
melden to announce.]
(Card Playing) In the game of pinochle, to declare or announce for a score; as, to meld a sequence.
Meld Meld noun (Card Playing) Any combination or score which may be declared, or melded, in pinochle.
Meleagrine Mel`e·a"grine adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the genus Meleagris.
Meleagris Mel`e·a"gris noun [ Latin , the Guinea fowl.]
(Zoology) A genus of American gallinaceous birds, including the common and the wild turkeys.
Mêlée Mê`lée" (ma`la")
noun [ French, from
mêler to mix. See
Meddle ,
Mell , and confer
Mellay .]
A fight in which the combatants are mingled in one confused mass; a hand to hand conflict; an affray.
Mêlée Mê`lée" noun A cavalry exercise in which two groups of riders try to cut paper plumes off the helmets of their opponents, the contest continuing until no member of one group retains his plume; -- sometimes called Balaklava mêlée .
Melena Me·le"na noun (Medicine) See Melæna .
Melene Mel"ene noun [
Mel issic + ethyl
ene .]
(Chemistry) An unsaturated hydrocarbon, C 30 H 60 , of the ethylene series, obtained from beeswax as a white, scaly, crystalline wax; -- called also melissene , and melissylene .
Melenite Mel"e·nite noun [ Greek
me`li honey.]
An explosive of great destructive power; -- so called from its color, which resembles honey.
Meletin Mel"e·tin noun (Chemistry) See Quercitin .
Melezitose Me·lez"i·tose` noun [ French
mélèze the larch + mel
itose .]
(Chemistry) A variety of sugar, isomeric with sucrose, extracted from the manna of the larch ( Larix ). [ Written also
melicitose .]
Meliaceous Me`li·a"ceous adjective (Botany) Pertaining to a natural order ( Meliacæ ) of plants of which the genus Melia is the type. It includes the mahogany and the Spanish cedar.
Melibean, Melib...an Mel`i·be"an, Mel`i·b..."an adjective [ From Latin
Meliboeus , one of the interlocutors in Virgil's first Eclogue.]
(Rhet.) Alternately responsive, as verses.
Melic Mel"ic [ Greek ..., from ... song.] Of or pertaining to song; lyric; tuneful.
Melic grass Mel"ic grass` (Botany) A genus of grasses ( Melica ) of little agricultural importance.
Melicerous Me·lic"er·ous adjective [ Latin
meliceris a kind of tumor, from Greek ...;
me`li honey + ... wax.]
(Medicine) Consisting of or containing matter like honey; -- said of certain encysted tumors.
Melicotoon Mel`i·co·toon" noun (Botany) See Melocoton .
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