A DICTIONARY. 



A. The first letter of the alphabet in all the 

 known languages except the Ethiopic and 

 the Runic ; in the former it is the thir- 

 teenth, and in the latter the tenth. 



Among the ancients, A was used as a 

 numeral, and_signified 500 ; with a line 

 over the top, I, 5000. 



In words of Greek derivation, A is 

 used privatively, or in a negative sense, as 

 acephalous, without a head ; acaulous, 

 having no stem ; apetalous, having no 

 petals ; acotyledonous, having no coty- 

 ledons, &c. 



ABAI'SIR. A name for spodium, burnt 

 ivory, or ivory black. 



ABARTICULA'TION. (from ab and articu- 

 latio, Lat.) That kind of articulation 

 which admits of manifest motion ; it is 

 also called diarthrosis, from the Greek 

 word dtap0pw<rt, and dearticulation. 



ABBRE'VIATED. (abbreviatus, Lat.) 



1. In botany, an epithet for the perianth. 

 An abbreviated perianth is shorter than 

 the tube of the corolla, as in Pulmonaria 

 maritima. 



2. Shorter than a correspondent part. 

 AB'DITIVE. (from abdo, Lat.) That has 



the power of hiding or concealing. 



ABDO'MEN. (abdomen, Lat. abdomen, Fr. 

 addomine, It.) The large cavity com- 

 monly known as the belly, containing the 

 organs more immediately concerned in 

 the process of digestion, as the stomach, 

 liver, spleen, pancreas, bowels, &c. 



ABDO'MINAL. (from abdomen.) 



1 . Pertaining to the abdomen or belly. 



2. Fishes belonging to the order abdo- 

 minales, or the fourth order of Lin- 

 nseus. 



ABDOMINA'LES. The fourth order of fishes 

 in the arrangement of Linnaeus ; they 

 have ventral fins behind the thoracic, or 

 fins placed on the belly, and the branchia 

 ossiculated ; they chiefly inhabit fresh 



A B R 



water. The salmon, trout, "smelt, &c., 



are examples. 

 ABDO'MINOUS. Relating to the abdomen 



or belly. 

 ABDU'CENT. (from abduco, Lat.) The name 



given to those muscles which serve to 



open or draw back parts of the body ; 



their opposites, or antagonists, are called 



adducent. 

 ABDUC'TOR. (abducteur,l?r.abduttore, It.) 



The same as abducent. 

 ABERRA'TION. (aberratio, Lat.) 



1. A certain deviation in the rays of 

 light, from the true or geometrical focus 

 of reflection or refraction, in curved spe- 

 cula or lenses. 



2. A deviation from the ordinary course 

 of nature. 



ABNO'RMAL. ) (aJwonw/svLat.) Irregular; 



ABNO'RMOUS. 5 unwonted ; unnatural. 



ABNO'RMITY. Departure from natural for- 

 mation ; irregularity. 



ABRA'DE. (abrado, Lat.) To wear away 

 from the other parts ; to destroy by fric- 

 tion ; to rub off. 



ABRA'SION. (from abrasio, Lat.) 



1. The act of wearing or rubbing off. 



2. The matter abraded by the friction of 

 bodies. 



ABRA'NCHIA. (from a, priv. and /3py%ia, 

 Gr.) Animals destitute of gills, and hav- 

 ing no apparent external organs of respi- 

 ration. 



ABRANCHIA'TA. The third order of arti- 

 culata, having no apparent external organs 

 of respiration, but seeming to respire, 

 some, by the entire surface of the skin, 

 others, by internal cavities. The abran- 

 chiata are divided into two families ; the 

 first, Abranchiata setigera, comprising 

 the Lumbrici and Naides of Linnaeus ; the 

 second, Abranchiata asetigera, compris- 

 ing the Hirudo and Gordius of Lin- 

 naeus. 



