Melluco Mel·lu"co noun (Botany) A climbing plant ( Ullucus officinalis ) of the Andes, having tuberous roots which are used as a substitute for potatoes.
Melne Mel"ne noun A mill. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Melocoton, Melocotoon Mel`o·co·ton", Mel`o·co·toon" noun [ Spanish
melocoton a kind of peach tree and its fruit, Latin
malum cotonium , or
cotonea , or
Cydonia , a quince, or quince tree, lit., apple of
Cydonia , Greek ... .... See
Quince .]
(Botany) (a) A quince. (b) A kind of peach having one side deep red, and the flesh yellow. [ Written also
malacatoon ,
malacotune .]
Melodeon Me·lo"de·on noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... musical. See
Melody , and confer
Odeon .]
1. (Mus.) A kind of small reed organ; -- a portable form of the seraphine. 2. A music hall.
Melodic Me·lod"ic adjective [ Latin
melodicus , Greek ...: confer French
mélodique .]
Of the nature of melody; relating to, containing, or made up of, melody; melodious.
Melodics Me·lod"ics noun The department of musical science which treats of the pitch of tones, and of the laws of melody.
Melodiograph Me·lo"di·o·graph noun [
Melody +
-graph .]
A contrivance for preserving a record of music, by recording the action of the keys of a musical instrument when played upon.
Melodious Me·lo"di·ous adjective [ Confer French
mélodieux . See
Melody .]
Containing, or producing, melody; musical; agreeable to the ear by a sweet succession of sounds; as, a melodious voice. "A
melodious voice." "A
melodious undertone."
Longfellow. --
Me*lo"di*ous*ly ,
adverb --
Me*lo"di*ous*ness ,
noun
Melodist Mel"o·dist noun [ Confer French
mélodiste .]
A composer or singer of melodies.
Melodize Mel"o·dize transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Melodized ;
present participle & verbal noun Melodizing .]
To make melodious; to form into, or set to, melody.
Melodize Mel"o·dize intransitive verb To make melody; to compose melodies; to harmonize.
Melodrama Mel`o·dra"ma noun [ French
mélodrame , from Greek
me`los song +
dra^ma drama.]
Formerly, a kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes. Now, a drama abounding in romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or pathetic. In opera, a passage in which the orchestra plays a somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks; as, the melodrama in the gravedigging scene of Beethoven's "Fidelio".
Melodramatic Mel`o·dra·mat"ic adjective [ Confer French
mélodramatique .]
Of or pertaining to melodrama; like or suitable to a melodrama; unnatural in situation or action. --
Mel`o*dra*mat"ic*al*ly adverb
Melodramatist Mel`o·dram"a·tist noun One who acts in, or writes, melodramas.
Melodrame Mel"o·drame noun [ French]
Melodrama.
Melody Mel"o·dy noun ;
plural Melodies . [ Middle English
melodie , French
mélodie , Latin
melodia , from Greek ... a singing, choral song, from ... musical, melodious;
me`los song, tune + ... song. See
Ode .]
1. A sweet or agreeable succession of sounds. Lulled with sound of sweetest melody .
Shak. 2. (Mus.) A rhythmical succession of single tones, ranging for the most part within a given key, and so related together as to form a musical whole, having the unity of what is technically called a musical thought, at once pleasing to the ear and characteristic in expression. »
Melody consists in a succession of single tones;
harmony is a consonance or agreement of tones, also a succession of consonant musical combinations or chords.
3. The air or tune of a musical piece. Syn. -- See
Harmony .
Meloe Mel"o·e [ New Latin , from Greek ... to probe a wound.] (Zoology) A genus of beetles without wings, but having short oval elytra; the oil beetles. These beetles are sometimes used instead of cantharides for raising blisters. See Oil beetle , under Oil .
Melograph Mel"o·graph (mĕl"o*grȧf)
noun [ Greek
me`los a song +
-graph : confer French
mélographe .]
Same as Melodiograph .
Melolonthidian Mel`o·lon·thid"i·an noun [ Greek ... the cockchafer.]
(Zoology) A beetle of the genus Melolontha , and allied genera. See May beetle , under May .
Melon Mel"on (mĕl"ŭn)
noun [ French, from Latin
melo , for
melopepo an apple-shaped melon, Greek ... ;
mh^lon apple + ... a species of large melon; confer Latin
malum apple. Confer
Marmalade .]
1. (Botany) The juicy fruit of certain cucurbitaceous plants, as the muskmelon, watermelon, and citron melon; also, the plant that produces the fruit. 2. (Zoology) A large, ornamental, marine, univalve shell of the genus Melo . Melon beetle (Zoology) ,
a small leaf beetle ( Diabrotiea vittata ), which damages the leaves of melon vines. --
Melon cactus ,
Melon thistle .
(a) (Botany) A genus of cactaceous plants ( Melocactus ) having a fleshy and usually globose stem with the surface divided into spiny longitudinal ridges, and bearing at the top a prickly and woolly crown in which the small pink flowers are half concealed .
M. communis , from the West Indies, is often cultivated, and sometimes called
Turk's cap .
(b) The related genus Mamillaria , in which the stem is tubercled rather than ribbed, and the flowers sometimes large. See Illust. under Cactus .
Melopœia Mel`o·pœ"ia noun [ New Latin , from Greek ...;
me`los song +
poiei^n to make.]
(Mus.) The art of forming melody; melody; -- now often used for a melodic passage, rather than a complete melody.
Melopiano Mel`o·pi·a"no noun [ Greek
me`los song + English
piano .]
A piano having a mechanical attachment which enables the player to prolong the notes at will.
Meloplastic Mel`o·plas"tic adjective Of or pertaining to meloplasty, or the artificial formation of a new cheek.
Meloplasty Mel"o·plas`ty (mĕl"o*plăs`tȳ)
noun [ Greek
mh^lon an apple, a cheek +
- plasty : confer French
méloplastie .]
(Surg.) The process of restoring a cheek which has been destroyed wholly or in part.
Melotype Mel"o·type noun (Photog.) A picture produced by a process in which development after exposure may be deferred indefinitely, so as to permit transportation of exposed plates; also, the process itself.
Melpomene Mel·pom"e·ne noun [ Latin , from Greek ..., lit., the songstress, from ..., ..., to sing.]
1. (Class. Myth.) The Muse of tragedy. 2. (Astron.) The eighteenth asteroid.
Melrose Mel"rose noun Honey of roses.
Melt Melt (mĕlt)
noun (Zoology) See 2d Milt .
Melt Melt transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Melted (obs.)
past participle Molten ;
present participle & verbal noun Melting .] [ Anglo-Saxon
meltan ; akin to Greek
me`ldein , English
malt , and probably to English
smelt , v. √108. Confer
Smelt ,
v. ,
Malt ,
Milt the spleen.]
1. To reduce from a solid to a liquid state, as by heat; to liquefy; as, to melt wax, tallow, or lead; to melt ice or snow. 2. Hence: To soften, as by a warming or kindly influence; to relax; to render gentle or susceptible to mild influences; sometimes, in a bad sense, to take away the firmness of; to weaken. Thou would'st have . . . melted down thy youth.
Shak. For pity melts the mind to love.
Dryden. Syn. -- To liquefy; fuse; thaw; mollify; soften.
Melt Melt intransitive verb 1. To be changed from a solid to a liquid state under the influence of heat; as, butter and wax melt at moderate temperatures. 2. To dissolve; as, sugar melts in the mouth. 3. Hence: To be softened; to become tender, mild, or gentle; also, to be weakened or subdued, as by fear. My soul melteth for heaviness.
Ps. cxix. 28. Melting with tenderness and kind compassion.
Shak. 4. To lose distinct form or outline; to blend. The soft, green, rounded hills, with their flowing outlines, overlapping and melting into each other.
J. C. Shairp. 5. To disappear by being dispersed or dissipated; as, the fog melts away. Shak.
Meltable Melt"a·ble adjective Capable of being melted.
Melter Melt"er (-ẽr)
noun One who, or that which, melts.
Melting Melt"ing noun Liquefaction; the act of causing (something) to melt, or the process of becoming melted. Melting point (Chemistry) ,
the degree of temperature at which a solid substance melts or fuses; as, the melting point of ice is 0° Centigrade or 32° Fahr., that of urea is 132° Centigrade. --
Melting pot ,
a vessel in which anything is melted; a crucible.
Melting Melt"ing adjective Causing to melt; becoming melted; -- used literally or figuratively; as, a melting heat; a melting appeal; a melting mood. --
Melt"ing*ly ,
adverb
Melton Mel"ton noun [ Etymol. uncertain.]
A kind of stout woolen cloth with unfinished face and without raised nap. A commoner variety has a cotton warp.
Melungeon Me·lun"geon noun [ Confer French
mélanger to mix,
mélange a mixture.]
One of a mixed white and Indian people living in parts of Tennessee and the Carolinas. They are descendants of early intermixtures of white settlers with natives. In North Carolina the Croatan Indians , regarded as descended from Raleigh's lost colony of Croatan, formerly classed with negroes, are now legally recognized as distinct.
Melæna Me·læ"na noun [ New Latin , from Greek
me`las , m.,
me`laina , f., black.]
(Medicine) A discharge from the bowels of black matter, consisting of altered blood.
Mem-sahib Mem"-sa`hib noun [ Hind.
mem- sāhib ;
mem (fr. English
ma'am ) + Arabic
çāhib master. See
Sahib .]
Lady; mistress; -- used by Hindustani-speaking natives in India in addressing European women.
Member Mem"ber transitive verb [ See
Remember .]
To remember; to cause to remember; to mention. [ Obsolete]
Member Mem"ber noun [ Middle English
membre , French
membre , from Latin
membrum ; confer Goth.
mimz flesh, Sanskrit
mamsa .]
1. (Anat.) A part of an animal capable of performing a distinct office; an organ; a limb. We have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office.
Rom. xii. 4. 2. Hence, a part of a whole; an independent constituent of a body ; as:
(a) A part of a discourse or of a period or sentence; a clause; a part of a verse. (b) (Math.) Either of the two parts of an algebraic equation, connected by the sign of equality. (c) (Engineering) Any essential part, as a post, tie rod, strut, etc., of a framed structure, as a bridge truss. (d) (Architecture) Any part of a building, whether constructional, as a pier, column, lintel, or the like, or decorative, as a molding, or group of moldings. (e) One of the persons composing a society, community, or the like; an individual forming part of an association; as, a member of the society of Friends. Compression member ,
Tension member (Engineering) ,
a member, as a rod, brace, etc., which is subjected to compression or tension, respectively.
Membered Mem"bered adjective 1. Having limbs; -- chiefly used in composition. 2. (Her.) Having legs of a different tincture from that of the body; -- said of a bird in heraldic representations.
Membership Mem"ber·ship noun 1. The state of being a member. 2. The collective body of members, as of a society.
Membral Mem"bral adjective (Anat.) Relating to a member.
Membranaceous Mem`bra·na"ceous adjective [ Latin
membranaceus .]
1. Same as Membranous . Arbuthnot. 2. (Botany) Thin and rather soft or pliable, as the leaves of the rose, peach tree, and aspen poplar.
Membrane Mem"brane noun [ French, from Latin
membrana the skin that covers the separate members of the body, from Latin
membrum . See
Member .]
(Anat.) A thin layer or fold of tissue, usually supported by a fibrous network, serving to cover or line some part or organ, and often secreting or absorbing certain fluids. » The term is also often applied to the thin, expanded parts, of various texture, both in animals and vegetables.
Adventitious membrane ,
a membrane connecting parts not usually connected, or of a different texture from the ordinary connection; as, the membrane of a cicatrix. --
Jacob's membrane .
See under Retina . --
Mucous membranes (Anat.) ,
the membranes lining passages and cavities which communicate with the exterior, as well as ducts and receptacles of secretion, and habitually secreting mucus. --
Schneiderian membrane .
(Anat.) See Schneiderian . --
Serous membranes (Anat.) , the membranes, like the peritoneum and pleura, which line, or lie in, cavities having no obvious outlet, and secrete a serous fluid.
Membraneous Mem·bra"ne·ous adjective [ Latin
membraneus of parchment.]
See Membranous .
Membraniferous Mem`bra·nif"er·ous adjective [
Membrane +
-ferous .]
Having or producing membranes.
Membraniform Mem·bra"ni·form adjective [
Membrane +
-form : confer French
membraniforme .]
Having the form of a membrane or of parchment.
Membranology Mem`bra·nol"o·gy noun [
Membrane +
-logy .]
The science which treats of membranes.
Membranous Mem"bra·nous adjective [ Confer French
membraneux .]
1. Pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling, membrane; as, a membranous covering or lining. 2. (Botany) Membranaceous. Membranous croup (Medicine) ,
true croup. See Croup .
Use the search box below if you want to search in Websters only, use the search box at the right to search all of Enyclo.
