A C I 



A D I 



A'CINOSE. Iron ore. A variety of iron ore 

 found in masses, and commonly lenticu- 

 lar. Colour, generally, brownish red : 

 lustre metallic : texture granular : hard- 

 ness 5 to 9 : brittle. 

 A'CINUS. (Lat.) Each separate part of a 

 compound berry containing a seed : com- 

 pound berries consist of many simple 

 acini united together, as the raspberry, 

 blackberry, &c. 



ACOTYLE'DON. (from a, priv. and KOTv 

 ov, Gr.) A plant whose seeds have no 

 cotyledons, or side-lobes. 

 ACOTYLE'DONOUS. Plants, whose embryos 

 have no lobes, or seminal leaves; not 

 having cotyledons, or seed lobes. 

 ACROCERAU'NIAN. (from dicpoQ and Kfpav- 

 voc, Gr.) A term given to some moun- 

 tains, supposed to be especially subject 

 to the effects of lightning. 

 A'CROGEN. (from dicpog and yfvvdo), Gr.) 

 An acrogen is a cylindrical plant growing 

 at its point only, and never augmenting 

 in thickness after once formed. 

 A'CROMION. (a*C|OOf and w/iof, Gr.) -The 

 humeral extremity of the spinous process 

 of the scapula ; situated over the upper 

 end of the humerus, and contributing to 

 the protection of the shoulder joint. 

 A'CROSPIRE. (from dicpog and ffirtlpa, Gr. ) 

 The shoot or sprout of a seed, also called 

 the plume, or plumule. 

 ACTI'NIA. The sea-anemony, a genus of 

 the order Vermes mollusca. The fleshy 

 body of the actinia is frequently orna- 

 mented with bright colours, and exhibits 

 numerous tentacula placed round the 

 mouth in several ranges, like the ^petals 

 of a double flower, from which it has 

 obtained its name of sea-anemony. 

 ACTINO'COMAX. A genus of fossil shells, 



having the form of belemnites. 

 ACTI'NOCRITE. A fossil crionoidean, found 

 in the carboniferous limestone near Bristol. 

 ACTI'NOLITE. (from O.KTIV and Xi9o, Gr.) 

 A variety of hornblende. Its con- 

 stituent parts are silica 46*26, mag- 

 nesia 19-03, lime 13-96, alumina 14-48, 

 protoxide of iron 3*43, protoxide of 

 manganese 0*36, fluoric acid 1-60, water, 

 &c. 1-04. This variety of hornblende 

 rarely occurs in the secondary rocks, 

 being principally confined to those of the 

 primary class. It is of a green colour. 

 ACTI'NOLITB-SCHIST. A metamorphicrock, 

 consisting principally of actinolite, with 

 an admixture of mica, quartz, or felspar ; 

 its texture is slaty and foliated. 

 ACTINOLI'TIC. Containing actinolite ; of 



the nature of actinolite. 

 ACU'ITY. (acuitt, Fr.) Sharpness ; acri- 

 mony. 



ACU'LEATE. > (aculeatus, Lat.) Prickly; 



ACU'LIATED. $ having spines or prickles. 



Applied to leaves armed with prickles. 



Used to denote prickles, fixed in the bark, 

 in distinction from thorns, which grow 

 from the wood. 



ACU'LEUS. A prickle or spine, arising from 

 the bark only, and not growing from the 

 wood. 



ACU'MINATED. (acuminates, Lat.) End- 

 ing in a point ; sharp-pointed, the de- 

 crease being very gradual. 

 A'DAMANT. (odajuac, Gr.) A name given to 

 different stones of excessive hardness, as 

 to the diamond. 



ADAMANTE'AN. (adamanteeus, Lat.) Hard 

 as adamant ; impenetrable. 



ADAMA'NTINE. Of the nature of adamant ; 



of excessive hardness. 



ADAMA'NTINE SPAR. Imperfect corun- 

 dum ; a variety of rhombohedral co- 

 rundum, nearly analogous to perfect 

 corundum, containing from 3 to 5 per 

 cent, of silica, and 1 to 2 of oxide of 

 iron. It occurs massive and in crystals. 

 The crystals brought from India are the 

 most pure. 



ADA'MIC EARTH. A name given to red 

 clay. 



A'DAPIS. One of the extinct pachyder- 

 mata, found in the gypsum quarries of 

 Montmartre. The form of this creature 

 most nearly resembled that of a hedge- 

 hog, but it was three times the size of 

 that animal : it seems to have formed a 

 link connecting the pachydermata with 

 the insectivorous carnivora. Buckland. 



ADDU'CENT. (from adduco, Lat.) A 

 name given to those muscles which bring 

 forward, close, or draw together, the parts 

 of the body to which they are attached ; 

 their antagonists are termed abducent. 



ADDU'CTOR. The same as adducent. 



ADE'NOID. (from ad^v, a gland, and 

 6to, form, Gr.) Glandiform; having 

 the shape of a kernel, almond, or gland ; 

 glandulous. 



ADHE'RENT. (from adheereo, Lat.) Unit- 

 ed with ; sticking to. 



ADHB'SION. (adhaesio, Lat.) The union 

 of two substances, either similar or dis- 

 similar. Adhesion is generally used in 

 the natural, and adherence in the meta- 

 phorical sense. 



ADHE'SIVE. (adh&sivtis, Lat.) Having a 

 tendency to adhere, or stick to. 



ADHE'SIVELY. In an adhesive manner. 



ADHE'SIVENESS. Tenacity ; the quality of 

 sticking to. 



ADIPOCERA'TION. The process of being 

 converted into adipocire. 



A'DIPOCERE. ^ (adeps, fat, and cera, wax, 



A'DIPOCIRE. $ Lat.) A substance resem- 

 bling spermaceti, produced by the con- 

 version of animal matter exposed to 

 running water ; in this way animal mat- 

 ter may be converted into a soft, unctu- 

 ous, or waxy substance in the space of a 



