Tephroite Teph"ro·ite noun [ See Tephrosia .] (Min.) A silicate of manganese of an ash-gray color.

Tephrosia Te·phro"si·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... ash- colored, from ... ashes.] (Botany) A genus of leguminous shrubby plants and herbs, mostly found in tropical countries, a few herbaceous species being North American. The foliage is often ashy-pubescent, whence the name. » The Tephrosia toxicaria is used in the West Indies and in Polynesia for stupefying fish. T . purpurea is used medicinally in the East Indies. T . Virginia is the goat's rue of the United States.

Tepid Tep"id adjective [ Latin tepidus , from tepere to be warm; akin to Sanskrit tap to be warm, tapas heat.] Moderately warm; lukewarm; as, a tepid bath; tepid rays; tepid vapors. -- Tep"id*ness , noun

Tepidity Te·pid"i·ty noun [ Confer French tépidité .] The quality or state of being tepid; moderate warmth; lukewarmness; tepidness. Jer. Taylor.

Tepor Te"por noun [ Latin , from tepere to be tepid.] Gentle heat; moderate warmth; tepidness. Arbuthnot.

Tequila Te·qui"la noun An intoxicating liquor made from the maguey in the district of Tequila, Mexico.

Ter- Ter- A combining form from Latin ter signifying three times , thrice . See Tri- , 2.

Ter-tenant Ter"-ten`ant noun See Terre- tenant .

Teraconic Ter`a·con"ic adjective [ Ter ebic + citr aconic .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid obtained by the distillation of terebic acid, and homologous with citraconic acid.

Teracrylic Ter`a·cryl"ic adjective [ Ter pene + acrylic .] (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid of the acrylic series, obtained by the distillation of terpenylic acid, as an only substance having a peculiar cheesy odor.

Teraph Ter"aph noun ; plural Teraphs See Teraphim .

Teraphim Ter"a·phim noun plural [ Hebrew terāphīm .] Images connected with the magical rites used by those Israelites who added corrupt practices to the patriarchal religion. Teraphim were consulted by the Israelites for oracular answers. Dr. W. Smith (Bib. Dict.).

Terapin Ter"a·pin noun (Zoology) See Terrapin .

Teratical Te·rat"ic·al adjective [ Greek ... a wonder.] Wonderful; ominous; prodigious. [ Obsolete] Wollaston.

Teratogeny Ter`a·tog"e·ny noun [ Greek ..., ..., a wonder, monster + the root of ... to be born.] (Medicine) The formation of monsters.

Teratoid Ter"a·toid adjective [ Greek ..., ..., monster + -oid .] Resembling a monster; abnormal; of a pathological growth, exceedingly complex or highly organized. S. D. Gross.

Teratological Ter`a·to·log"ic·al adjective (Biol.) Of or pertaining to teratology; as, teratological changes.

Teratology Ter`a·tol"o·gy noun [ Greek ..., ..., a wonder, monster + -logy : confer Greek ... a telling of wonders, and French tératologie .] 1. That branch of biological science which treats of monstrosities, malformations, or deviations from the normal type of structure, either in plants or animals. 2. Affectation of sublimity; bombast. [ Obsolete] Bailey.

Teratoma Ter`a·to"ma noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., ..., monster + -oma .] (Medicine) A tumor, sometimes found in newborn children, which is made up of a heterigenous mixture of tissues, as of bone, cartilage and muscle.

Terbic Ter"bic adjective (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or containing, terbium; also, designating certain of its compounds.

Terbium Ter"bi·um noun [ New Latin , from Yt terby , in Sweden. See Erbium .] (Chemistry) A rare metallic element, of uncertain identification, supposed to exist in certain minerals, as gadolinite and samarskite, with other rare ytterbium earth. Symbol Tr or Tb. Atomic weight 150.

Terce Terce noun See Tierce .

Tercel Ter"cel noun See Tiercel . Called also tarsel , tassel . Chaucer.

Tercelet Terce"let noun (Zoology) A male hawk or eagle; a tiercelet. Chaucer.

Tercellene Ter"cel·lene noun (Zoology) A small male hawk. [ R.] Sir T. Browne.

Tercentenary Ter·cen"te·na·ry adjective [ Latin ter thirce + English centenary .] Including, or relating to, an interval of three hundred years. -- noun The three hundredth anniversary of any event; also, a celebration of such an anniversary.

Tercet Ter"cet noun [ French, from Italian terzetto , dim. of terzo , third, Latin tertius . See Tierce , and confer Terzetto .] 1. (Mus.) A triplet. Hiles. 2. (Poetry) A triplet; a group of three lines.

Tercine Ter"cine noun [ French, from Latin tertius the third.] (Botany) A cellular layer derived from the nucleus of an ovule and surrounding the embryo sac. Confer Quintine .

Terebate Ter"e·bate noun A salt of terebic acid.

Terebene Ter"e·bene noun (Chemistry) A polymeric modification of terpene, obtained as a white crystalline camphorlike substance; -- called also camphene . By extension, any one of a group of related substances.

Terebenthene Ter`e·ben"thene noun (Chemistry) Oil of turpentine. See Turpentine .

Terebic Te·reb"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or obtained from, terbenthene (oil of turpentine); specifically, designating an acid, C ₇ H ₁₀ O ₄ , obtained by the oxidation of terbenthene with nitric acid, as a white crystalline substance.

Terebilenic Ter`e·bi·len"ic adjective (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, a complex acid, C ₇ H ₈ O ₄ , obtained as a white crystalline substance by a modified oxidation of terebic acid.

Terebinth Ter"e·binth noun [ Latin terbinthus , Greek ...: confer French térébinthe . Confer Turpentine .] (Botany) The turpentine tree.

Terebinthic Ter`e·bin"thic adjective (Chemistry) Of or pertaining to turpentine; resembling turpentine; terbinthine; as, terbinthic qualities.

Terebinthinate Ter`e·bin"thi·nate adjective Impregnating with the qualities of turpentine; terbinthine.

Terebinthine Ter`e·bin"thine adjective [ Latin terbinthinus , Greek ....] Of or pertaining to turpentine; consisting of turpentine, or partaking of its qualities.

Terebra Ter"e·bra noun ; plural English Terebras , Latin Terebræ . [ Latin , a borer.] 1. (Zoology) A genus of marine gastropods having a long, tapering spire. They belong to the Toxoglossa. Called also auger shell . 2. (Zoology) The boring ovipositor of a hymenopterous insect.

Terebrant Ter"e·brant adjective [ Latin terebrans , -antis , present participle] (Zoology) Boring, or adapted for boring; -- said of certain Hymenoptera, as the sawflies.

Terebrantia Ter`e·bran"ti·a noun plural [ New Latin ] (Zoology) A division of Hymenoptera including those which have an ovipositor adapted for perforating plants. It includes the sawflies.

Terebrate Ter"e·brate transitive verb [ Latin terebratus , past participle of terebrare , from terebra a borer, terere to rub.] To perforate; to bore; to pierce. [ R.] Sir T. Browne.

Terebrating Ter"e·bra`ting adjective 1. (Zoology) Boring; perforating; -- applied to molluskas which form holes in rocks, wood, etc. 2. (Medicine) Boring; piercing; -- applied to certain kinds of pain, especially to those of locomotor ataxia.

Terebration Ter`e·bra"tion noun [ Latin terebratio .] The act of terebrating, or boring. [ R.] Bacon.

Terebratula Ter`e·brat"u·la noun ; plural Terebratulæ . [ Nl., dim. from terebratus , past participle , perforated.] (Zoology) A genus of brachiopods which includes many living and some fossil species. The larger valve has a perforated beak, through which projects a short peduncle for attachment. Called also lamp shell .

Terebratulid Ter`e·brat"u·lid noun (Zoology) Any species of Terebratula or allied genera. Used also adjectively.

Terebratuliform Ter`e·bra·tu"li·form adjective (Zoology) Having the general form of a terebratula shell.

Teredine Ter"e·dine noun [ French térédine .] (Zoology) A borer; the teredo.

Teredo Te·re"do noun ; plural English Teredos , Latin Teredines . [ Latin , a worm that gnaws wood, clothes, etc.; akin to Greek ..., Latin terere to rub.] (Zoology) A genus of long, slender, wormlike bivalve mollusks which bore into submerged wood, such as the piles of wharves, bottoms of ships, etc.; -- called also shipworm . See Shipworm . See Illust. in App.

Terek Ter"ek noun [ Because found on the Terek River in the Caucasus.] A sandpiper ( Terekia cinerea ) of the Old World, breeding in the far north of eastern Europe and Asia and migrating to South Africa and Australia. It frequents rivers.

Terephthalate Ter·eph"tha·late noun (Chemistry) A salt of terephthalic acid.