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Assr'RANce, insurance ; a contract to 

 make good a loss (See INSTANCE . In 

 fa>/', legal evidence of the conveyance of 

 property. In theology, full confidence in 

 possessing an actual interest in the divine 

 favour. The root of this class of words is, 

 FT. wr, sure, certain 



AS'TACCS, cta-TOixOf , Cancer marinus (Plin. 

 9. 31). A gen us of Crustacea, constituting 

 Cuvier's family Macroura (long- tailed), 

 and divided into four sections, each con- 

 sisting of numerous sub-genera. In one 

 cf these (the Pagvrus} we find the Her- 

 mit (Cancer Bernhardus, Lin.), which in- 

 habits a univalve shell : it is common in 

 the European seas. I n another (the Asta- 

 eus. Fab.) is the common lobster (A. mari- 

 iusi. The fresh- water species are known 

 ty the name of Craw-fish. Among these 

 are also the shrimp (Crangon], and the 

 prawn iPaleemon). See CANCER. 



ASTAB'TE, a Syrian goddess, probably 

 corresponding to the Semele of the Greeks, 

 the Astaroth of the Hebrews, and the Juno 

 of the Romans. 



ASTAT'IC, from cta-rct-rcf, balanced. The 

 Astatic needle is a double magnetic needle, 

 not affected by the earth's magnetism. 



As'TEisM,from,rr/f , polite. In rhe- 

 toric, " polite irony," " genteel derision." 



AS'TER, a genus of syngenesious plants, 

 of the order Poly, svperflua, containing up- 

 wards of 150 species, mostly hardy peren- 

 nials. The sea. Starwort or Michaelmas 

 daisy (A. tripolium) , found in salt-marshes, 

 is a bad type, and the only one which in- 

 habits Britain. Name, aster, a star, 

 which the flowers resemble. 



ASTE'RIA, from aster, a star. 1. A va- 

 riety of sapphire, not perfectly transpa- 

 rent, and showing a star-like opalescence 

 in the direction of the axis, if cut round. It 

 is sometimes called cat's eye and bastard 

 opal. 2. The generic name of the star- 

 fish or sea- star, so called because the body 

 is divided into rays (usually five), in the 

 centre of which:, and underneath, is the 

 mouth. The asterias have the power of 

 reproducing the rays which have been 

 removed, even if only the centre and one 

 of the rays remain : for this reason their 

 figure is often irregular. They are placed 

 by Cuvier in the order Pendicellata and 

 class Eihinodermata f t>f the radiated ani- 

 mals or zoophytes. They inhabit the 

 ocean, and are frequently found fos- 

 silised. 



ASTER'IALITE, fossilised asterias or star- 

 fish : akffT-f.*, a star, and }J6o;, stone. 



ASTE'RION AND CHARA (cane$ venatici}, 

 the greyhounds. A constellation occupy- 

 ing the space between Bofttes and the hind 

 leas of Ursa Major, particularly distin- 

 guished by a star of the third magnitude 

 (wiled Cor CarcH, in honour of Charles 10, 

 in the neck of Chara. 



As'TERtTE,\ star-store, i-r>7f. a star, 



AS'TRITE, .-and A/&J?, stone. 1. Tho 



AS'TROITE, ' same with asteria. See As- 

 TERIA, 1st def. 2. Used to denote de- 

 tached articulations of encrites. This is 

 especially the application of the French 

 word astroite. 



ASTERN', in nautical languayt, towards 

 the after-part of the ship, opposed to a- 

 head t'q. v.>. 



AS'TIROIDS, from dtTTTJp, star, and 

 elSflJ, likeness. The name giren by Her- 

 gchel to the little planeti between the orbit* 

 of Mw and Jupiter, now called PLANE- 

 TOIDS, q. . 



ASTHSNOL'OOT, from aurvito; , weakness, 

 and >.6^t(, discussion. The doctrine of 

 diseases arising from debility. 



AS'THSSY, Lat. asthenia, debility; . 

 without, and g-6ivo; , strength. 



A&'THMA (ourdftei). A disease character 

 ised by difficulty of breathing, recurrinfl 

 in paroxysms, accompanied with cough 

 and a sense of constriction in the chest. 



AS'TRAGAL, in architecture, a small 

 moulding, having a semicircular profile, 

 usually surrounding the top or bottom of 

 a column, and representing a ring, to 

 prevent the splitting of the part which it 

 binds. The ring or moulding near the 

 mouth of a canon. In anatomy and bo- 

 tany See ASTRAGALUS. 



ASTRAG'ALVS, Gr of aVrjayoAof, the 

 ankle-bone. 1. That bone of the tarsus 

 upon which the tibia moves, called popu- 

 larly the sling-bone. 2. In botany, a 



genus of plants of which there are three 

 British species, known by the popular 

 name of the milk-vetch : perennials. U*a- 

 delphiaDecandria. The seeds are sup- 

 posed to bear some resemblance to thp 

 astragalus of the foot. The gum traga- 

 canth or gum dragon is derived from a 

 Persian species, the goat's horn(.4.t-ert). 



ASTRAN'TIA, the black-master-wort. A 

 genus of hardy European perennials. 

 PentandriaDigynia. Named from rs- 

 <rwi,astar,from the star-like shape of 

 the flowers. 



ASTRIN'QENT, Lat. astringens, binding. 

 Applied to medicines, which ^when applied 

 to the body, renders the solids denser, by 

 contracting the fibres. The astringent 

 principle of vegetable substances is tan- 

 nin. 



AS'TROLABE, from otfT^ot, a star, and 

 Aa/3e/v, to take. 1. An instrument for 

 measuring angles, and formerly used for 

 taking the altitude of the sun or stars. It 

 consists of a circular plate with the de 

 grees and minutes marked round the 

 edge, and a moveable index, with a sight 

 glass at each end. The instrument ia 

 suspended when used. 2. An old ster 



