MOO 4 



the compass, and the other half from the 

 opposite point. The change of these 

 winds is .ermed the breaking up of the 

 monsoons, and is accompanied with hur- 

 ricanes. Those winds which blow through- 

 out the year from the same point are 

 termed trade tcinds, but sometimes this 

 name is also given to the regular mon- 

 soons. 



MON'TANISTS. A sect of heretics, the 

 followers of Montanus, a Phrygian, who 

 pretended to be inspired by the Holy 

 Spirit, to giye instruction on points not 

 revealed to the apostles. The sect sprung 

 up in the second century. 



MON'TEM. A singular celebration, 

 which takes place at Eton on Whit- 

 Tuesday every third year. The scholars 

 march in procession to Salt-hill, where 

 their captain (the best scholar) recites a 

 passage from some ancient author. The 

 young gentlemen, called salt-bearers, who 

 are arrayed in fancy dresses, then dis- 

 perse in various directions to collect 

 money from all passengers. The money 

 collected is given to the captain, to enable 

 him to take up his residence at one of the 

 universities. 



MONTGOL'FIER. A name sometimes 

 given to those balloons which derive 

 their buoyancy from the burning of com- 

 bustible materials, being thus denomi- 

 nated from their inventor, and to distin- 

 guish them from inflammable air-balloons. 



MONTH, Sax. moneth, from mona, the 

 moon. A space of time constituting a 

 division of the year. The name originally 

 signified the time of one revolution of the 

 moon : a lunation. This is the periodical 

 month, or as we generally now term it, 

 the lunar month : it is 27 days, 7b., 43m., 

 8". The synodical month is the time be- 

 tween two conjunctions of the moon 

 with the sun: 29d., 12h., 44m., 3s., 11'". 

 The time which the sun takes to pass 

 through the twelfth part of the zodiac we 

 call a solar month: it is 30d., 10h., 29m., 

 5". In the year there are 12 solar, and 

 13 lunar, months. In popular language 

 4 weeks make a month, and in the calen- 

 dar the months consist alternately of 30 

 and 31 days, except February and July. 



MOOD. A word often written for 

 mode (q. v.) Mood, temper of mind, is a 

 different word ; it is from Goth, mod, 

 anger, or Sax. mod, mind, whereas mood 

 for mode, is Latin modus. Mood, in gram- 

 mar, applies to the various forms of a 

 verb corresponding to our conceptions of 

 facts and events. In logic, mood is the 

 designation of th. three propositions of a 

 syllogism, in the order in which they 

 stand. 



M.V.N. The earth's satellite. Mean 

 sidereal revolution 27d., 7h., 43m., 11", 

 30'". Mean synodical revolution 29d ., 12h., 

 44m., 28". Mean distance from the earth, 



9 MO R 



237,000 miles. Subtends a mean angle of 

 31', 8". Diameter 2180 miles. The moon 

 has been worshipped "ay various nations, 

 and under many names. Our Saxon an- 

 cestors worshipped it under the name of 

 Mona, and dedicated Monday to it, as they 

 did Sunday to the sun. 



MOON'STONE. A variety of adularia, 

 worked by lapidaries. It exhibits a beau- 

 tiful pearly light, and when held in cer- 

 tain positions, its surface is iridescent. 

 It occurs massive, and also in crystals, in 

 fissures of granite, gneiss, &c. 



MOOR. 1. Sax. mor. A tract of land 



overrun with heath. 2. Ger. mohr, 



from fMtv^ot, dark, a native of the coast 

 of Africa, called by the Romans, from the 

 colour of the people, Mauritania, or the 

 country of the dark-complexioned people. 



MOOR-FOWL. The pinnate grouse (Te- 

 trao cupido, Gm.), protected by game-laws 

 for the benefit of sportsmen. 



MOOR'INOS. The anchors, chains, &c. 

 laid athwart the bottom of a river or har- 

 bour, to confine a ship. 



MOOR'STONZ. A variety of coarse gra- 

 nite, found in Cornwall and some other 

 parts of England, and in immense masses 

 in some parts of Ireland. 



MOOSE. The American elk, the largest 

 animal of the deer kind, sometimes 

 weighing 1200 Ibs. The name is Indian. 



MOOT-CASE, > In law, a point, case, or 



MOOT-POINT, j question, to be mooted or 

 debated : a disputable case. Moot is Sax. 

 mat ian, to debate; Goth, motyan, to 

 come on. 



MORA/INE. The stony detritus found at 

 the bases of glaciers in Switzerland. 



MOR'AL, Lat. moralit, from mo$, moris, 

 manner. Relating to the practice, man- 

 ner, or conduct of men towards each 

 other as social beings, and with reference 

 to right and wrong. The moral law is that 

 which prescribes the moral or social du- 

 ties : the moral sense is that by which we 

 perceive with distinctness the maxims of 

 the moral law. Moral philosophy treats of 

 the nature and condition of man as a social 

 being, of the duties which result from his 

 social relations, and the reasons on which 

 they are founded. It is called the science 

 of morals. 



MORAL'ITIES. A sort of allegorical plays 

 in voauc during the latter part of the 

 middle ages. They consisted of moral dis- 

 courses, in praise of virtue, and condem- 

 nation of vice. They were exhibited so 

 late as the reign of Henry VIII., but gra- 

 dually assumed the form of the maxjiif, 

 which became the favourite entertainment 

 at the court of Elizabeth. 



MORA,SS'-ORE A name of the bog iron 

 ore. 



MORA'VIANS. A denomination of Chris- 

 tians, which sprung up in Moravia and 

 Bohemia, at the dawn of the Reformation, 



