It 



M O It 



and are otherwise called United Brethren, 

 and on the continent, Heriihutters, from 

 their settlement, Hernhutter, watch-of- 

 t he- Lord. They generaUy adhere to the 

 Augsburgh Confession. They celebrate 

 agapne, and cast lots to discover the will 

 of the Lord. 



MORBIDEZ'ZA. An Italian term in the 

 arts denoting refinedly delicate; pliant 

 and soft to the eye and touch. 



MOR'OANT. 1. In dyeing, and calico- 

 printing, denotes a body which, having a 

 twofold attraction for organic nbi es and 

 colouring particles, serves as a bond of 

 union between them, and thus gives 

 fixity to dyes; or it signifies a substance 

 which, by combining with colouring par- 

 ticles in the pores of textile filaments, 

 renders them insoluble in hot, soapy, and 

 weak alkaline solutions. The mordant is 

 the substance previously applied to the 

 goods, in order that they may afterwards 

 take and retain any particular colour or 

 dye. Sulphate of iron and acetate of alu- 

 mina are much used as mordants. 2. 



In gilding, any adhesive matter by which 

 gold-leaf is made to adhere to the surface 

 of metal, wood, or other material. 



MORDEN'TE (It.). In music, a grace 

 which is effected by turning upon a note, 

 without using the note below. 



MOREL. The Morchella esculenta, used, 

 like truffles, for gravies. It is in perfection 

 in May and June. 



MORESQUE', Moresk. \ After the man- 



MACRESQDE, Moorish. ) ner of the 

 Moors. Applied to a style of painting and 

 carving, consisting of grotesque pieces 

 and compartments promiscuously inter- 

 spersed. Also to the peculiarities of the 

 Arabian style of architecture. 



MORGANAT'IC or LEFT-HANDED MAR- 

 RIAGE. A marriage between a man of su- 

 perior, and a woman of inferior, rank ; 

 in which it is stipulated, that the latter 

 and her children shall not enjoy the rank, 

 nor inherit the possessions of the former. 



MORGUE (Fr.). The place, in many 

 towns in France, where unclaimed dead 

 bodies are exposed, in order to be recog- 

 nised by friends. 



MO'RIA, from fMi^os, foolish. A variety 

 of monomania, in which the illusion is of 

 a happy nature, as where the patient 

 fancies himself a hero, great genius, &c. 



MO'RION. The smoky Topaz. A variety 

 of rock crystal. 



MOR'N ING-STAR. The planet Venus, 

 when it precedes the sun in rising, and 

 shines in the morning. Thence called 

 Phosphorus by the Greeks, and Lucifer by 

 the llomans. 



MOROC co, Fr. Haroquin, Sp. 3Iarroqtii. 

 A. fine sort of leather, prepared of the 

 skins of goats, imported from the Levant, 

 Barbary, Spain, &c.. and so named from 

 it* having been tint imported 1'rom Mo- 



rocco. The skins are first tanned, and 

 then dyed on the side of the grain. Sheep- 

 skin treated in the same way is often sub- 

 stituted for morocco. 



MOROX'YLIC-ACID. An acid discovered 

 by Dr. Thomson in combination with 

 lime, on the bark of the white mulberry - 

 tree ( Jtforut alba) , in the botanic garden 

 of Palermo, in Sicily. It dissolves readily 

 in water and alcohol. 



MOR'PHEW, from Lat. morphta. An old 

 name for various cutaneous diseases of 

 the face. 



MUR'PHEA. \ A vegetable alkali ex- 



MORPHI'NA. > traded from opium, of 



MOR'PHINE. ) which it is the narcotic 

 principle. It is copiously precipitated, in 

 | a very pure state, by adding water of 

 j ammonia to a strong solution of opium. 

 It is a colourless substance, of a bitter 

 I taste, and crystallises in quadrangular 

 prisms ; it is difficultly soluble in water, 

 even when boiling, but dissolves freely in 

 boiling alcohol, and deposits crystals on 

 cooling. 



MORPHOI/OGY, from [AO%$VI, form, and 

 Xoyo?, description. That division of bo- 

 tanical science which treats of the meta- 

 j morphosis of organs. 



MOR'RIS-DANCE. A peculiar kind of 

 dance practised in the middle ages. 



MORSE. The Trichectis rosmanis, Lin. 

 This animal inhabits the Arctic seas, sur- 

 passes the largest ox in size, attains the 

 length of 20 feet, and is covered with a 

 short yellowish hair. It is sought for on 

 account of its oil and tusks. It is also 

 called walrus, sea-horse, and sea-cow. 



MORTAI.'ITV (BILLS OF). Registers of the 

 number of deaths or burials in any parish 

 or district. 



MORTALITY (LAW OF). A mathematical 

 relation subsisting among the number of 

 persons living at the different ages of life. 



MOR'TAR, Lat. morlarium. 1. A bell- 

 shaped vessel, used by druggists, &c., to 

 pound substances in with a pestle ; also a 

 short piece of ordnance, thick and wide, 

 used for throwing bombs, carcasses, &c. 

 - 2. A cement, used for building pur- 

 ' poses, composed of lime, sharp sand, and 

 hair of cattle, thoroughly mixed and in- 

 corporated with a small portion of water : 

 thus named from beating and mixing as 

 in a mortar. 



MORT D'AxeESTRE CFr. for death of the 

 ancestor). The name of a writ of assize, 



which a demandant recovers possession 

 an estate from which he has been 

 ousted on the death of his ancestor. 



MOHT'GAGE, from FT. mart, dead, and 

 gage, a pledge. A dead pledge. Land or 

 other property pledged to a creditor as a 

 security for money borrowed. 



MORTIFICA'TION, from mors, death, and 

 /to, to become. 1. The putrefaction and 



by 

 of 



