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 .